Scientists publishes findings confirming that killer whales hunt great white sharks, the world’s largest sea predators

Video shot by a drone camera in June of this year showed orcas, or killer whales, pursuing and killing a great white shark.

Scientists stated this behaviour has never been seen before and could have wider ramifications in a study that was published this week in the journal Ecology.

A killer whale pod is captured on camera pursuing sharks for an hour before devouring them in a video from South Africa’s Western Cape Province. Four great white sharks, in all, are thought to have perished in the killer whale attack, according to scientists.

The other whales had not been known to attack great white sharks, but one of the whales had.

The Guardian cited a marine mammal expert as claiming that because killer whales hunt in packs, they are extremely adept predators. The biggest sea predators in the world are indeed hunted by killer whales, according to research findings presented by scientists.

Although the ocean’s top predator, orcas, is known to prey on other shark species, there has previously been little proof that they have attacked great white sharks. The study didn’t examine the causes of the behaviour.

Following the predations, scientists saw a reduction in the local white shark population. The flight reaction is the term for this behaviour. The investigation found that over the next 45 days, only one great white shark was seen in the region.