WATCH – Orca kills Great White in Mossel Bay

The renowned orca duo, Port and Starboard, known to hunt big fish including great whites, killed another shark near Mossel Bay last summer.

This time researchers were nearby to record the event – that has now been published in the African Journal of Marine Science.

As the scene unfolded, it showed Starboard making the kill alone while Port swam at a distance.

This marked the first documented instance of a lone orca targeting and killing a great white. The behaviour has challenged conventional notions that killer whales always hunt in pairs or groups.

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According to ExplorersWeb, Dr. Alison Towner of Rhodes University led an international research team that observed the event.

The occurance also shed light on the orcas’ distinct techniques for eviscerating sharks and consuming their livers.

“This sighting revealed evidence of solitary hunting by at least one killer whale, challenging conventional cooperative hunting behaviours known in the region,” Towner said.

HOW IT UNFOLDED

Two vessels, Wildcatt and Shark Warrior, responded to reports of the initial killer whale sighting near Seal Island on June 18, 2023.

Aboard the vessels were researchers Esther Jacobs and Christiaan Stopforth, who spotted the whales. Following the orca pair at a safe distance, Jacobs and Stopforth observed a juvenile great white being pursued by Starboard.

“The moment Starboard rapidly preyed on my favorite shark species was both devastating and intensely powerful,” said Jacobs.

The researchers attributed the successful kill to the shark’s young age, as its 2.5-metre size posed less of a challenge compared to larger great whites previously hunted by Port and Starboard.

The solo kill raises questions about the whales’ evolving hunting techniques and their potential impact on shark behavior off the coast of South Africa.

The carcass of an eviscerated juvenile shark washed up on the Mossel Bay beach a day after Starboard’s kill, presented further mysteries.

This shark was larger than the shark killed by Starboard and displayed signs of a possible group hunt, with a pectoral tear, removed liver, and stretch marks on its flanks.

WHY ORCAS TARGET THE LIVER

The researchers highlighted the nutritional richness of a juvenile great white’s liver – that can weigh between 5-24kg. They believe this is the incentive for orcas like Port and Starboard – who were recently spotted in Kalk Bay harbour – to adopt this hunting strategy.

“As smart, top predators, killer whales can rapidly learn new hunting techniques on their own or from others,” Towner added.

“Monitoring and understanding the behaviors used here and by other killer whales in South Africa is an important part of helping us understand more about these animals.”

“The observations…add more layers to the fascinating story of these two killer whales.”

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