Killer whales declare WAR on world’s biggest sharks as they train themselves in deadly new skills to kill sea beasts

As they teach themselves new lethal techniques to murder the marine creatures, killer whales have launched war on the largest sharks in the world.

In “coordinated” attacks, orcas have been observed tracking down and killing whale sharks in the Gulf of California.

According to experts, the enormous apex predators may have acquired “special” knowledge that enables them to hunt in a manner never before observed in their species.

When they are younger and smaller, whale sharks occasionally eat in the Gulf of California, off the coast of Mexico.

According to scientists, they are more susceptible to predator attacks during that period of life.

Now, four different cases of killer whales, which can reach a length of 59 feet, killing baby whale sharks for the first time have been documented by biologists in Mexico.

The paper, which was published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, was written by marine biologist Erick Higuera Rivas as its senior author.

He stated: “We demonstrate how orcas can hunt whale sharks cooperatively by attacking the pelvic region, which causes the whale shark to bleed out and gives orcas access to the lipid-rich liver.”

“One individual was engaged in three of the four events, alongside with other members who might belong to a pod specialised in hunting sharks.”

Both scientists and members of the public took pictures and videos of the attacks, which took place in the southern Gulf of California between 2018 and this year.

Photographs of the dorsal fins and distinguishing characteristics, such as scars, were analyzed in order to identify individual orcas.

Three of the four hunts included a male orca named Moctezuma.

Additionally, a female orca who had previously been seen with Moctezuma took part in one hunt, indicating that they might be related or from the same pod.

Higuera Rivas stated: “Everyone in the pod cooperates during hunting, striking the whale shark to knock it over.

“The sharks in that condition go into a state of tonic immobility, which prevents them from moving freely or from escaping by going deeper.

“By keeping it under control, the orcas then have greater ease and speed in approaching the pelvic area of the shark and are able to extract organs of nutritional importance for them.”

Because the ventral part of whale sharks’ bodies is believed to be the least protected, the research team speculates that orcas may be targeting this area. For instance, the aorta can be accessed more easily because there is less cartilage and muscle there.

They think that this type of hunting would suggest that certain orcas in the Gulf of California have developed “special skills” that enable them to hunt whale sharks.

Although there is little evidence, the researchers claimed that additional killer whales or orcas may have learned to perform the same thing in other areas.

According to Higuera Rivas, the presence of a whale shark hunting pod in the Gulf of California makes it more important to control tourists and marine adventurers.

He stated: “There must be a specific regulatory norm that guarantees that any type of non-extractive use activity is carried out in a respectful and sustainable manner.”

According to Higuera Rivas, Moctezuma and his pod may be “vulnerable” to the potential extinction of the particular prey as a result of climate change if the notion that they have learned ecological and behavioral knowledge for hunting whale sharks in the Gulf of California is correct.

He continued: “It is very impressive how orcas work together strategically and intelligently to access only a very specific area of the prey.”It demonstrates their superiority as predators.