A solitary killer whale, or orca, has been filmed hunting and killing a great white shark in an “astonishing” attack.<\/p>\n
Scientists said it was “unprecedented” and showed the exceptional predatory skills of killer whales.<\/p>\n
Two orcas in particular off South Africa’s coast have been observed before working together to hunt and kill sharks, including great whites.<\/p>\n
“But this caught us off guard,” said shark biologist Dr Alison Towner.<\/p>\n
Dr Towner, who is from Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, has studied the animals for several years. She and her colleagues published a detailed and grisly account of their new observations<\/a> in the African Journal of Marine Science.<\/p>\n The attack – filmed in 2023, which you can watch here<\/a> – was, scientists, said “solo and swift”. The male killer whale killed the shark and consumed its liver – all in under two minutes.<\/p>\n