Killer Whales Target Great White Sharks

Killer whales, often called “killer whales,” have a particular fondness for liver, especially that of great white sharks.

Researchers in Mexico recently captured footage revealing how these orcas extract large pieces of a great white shark’s fatty organs. In the Gulf of California, there are recordings of two separate hunts, one from 2020 and another from 2022. The videos show a pod of killer whales incapacitating a juvenile great white before they proceed to slice into its flank and consume its liver. A research team shared their discoveries on Monday.

In one clip, all members of the pod can be seen enjoying a shark’s liver as its body sinks out of sight. Interestingly, sea lions also appeared during the hunting, seemingly on the lookout for an easy meal. But the killer whales responded by blowing bubbles, likely attempting to scare the seals away.

More footage of these extraordinary events can be found online.

Marine biologist and documentary filmmaker Eric Higuera Rivas, who filmed the encounter from a boat, later realized the significance of the footage during the editing stage. “On the monitor, we could see the shark’s liver hanging to the side and it had already popped out. Then, a few minutes later, it appeared with the liver in its mouth,” he recounted, expressing his surprise that it was a great white shark.

Previously, the only documented instances of killer whales hunting great whites were from South Africa. Research indicates that orcas in that region have been feasting on shark livers for quite some time, with carcasses frequently washing ashore.

The liver of a great white shark is particularly rich in fat and nutrients, constituting about a quarter of its body mass and offering substantial energy, according to Francesca Pancaldi, a research fellow at the National Polytechnic Center Marinas.