Orcas Repeatedly Attack Young Great White Sharks, Drone Footage Reveals

image via New Scientist

November 3, 2025, 4:00 AM

• •Orcas were observed repeatedly targeting young great white sharks in a shark nursery.
• •The orcas flipped the sharks onto their backs, inducing paralysis.
• •The primary target was the sharks' livers, a source of nutrients.
• •The behavior may be linked to climate-change-induced warming waters.
• •This hunting technique is passed down through generations.

For the first time, researchers have documented orcas repeatedly targeting and flipping young great white sharks in a shark nursery, using this technique to paralyze and dismember them. This behavior, observed in the Gulf of California, showcases the orcas' advanced intelligence and strategic hunting techniques, passed down through generations. The orcas specifically targeted the sharks' livers, rich in nutrients and energy. Scientists speculate that climate-change-induced warming waters may be pushing shark nurseries into orca hunting grounds, potentially disrupting the sharks' development and the ecosystem.

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