Overview
- The peer-reviewed study in Frontiers in Marine Science documents two hunts that resulted in three juvenile great white sharks killed in the Gulf of California.
- Photo-identification of dorsal fins tied the animals to the Moctezuma pod, a group previously observed hunting rays and other shark species in the region.
- In each event, five orcas herded a juvenile to the surface, flipped it onto its back to induce tonic immobility, then opened the abdomen to remove the nutrient-rich liver.
- The juveniles measured about two meters in length, compared with roughly four-meter females and a six-meter male within the hunting group.
- Researchers will continue monitoring to determine how frequently this tactic occurs, whether juveniles are preferentially targeted, and if similar behavior is found in other areas.