Teamwork! Orcas Invented a Wild New Way to Eat Giant Fish
Quick Summary
Scientists have filmed orcas doing something that has never been described before. Working as a team in the Gulf of California, these clever whales figured out a trick to smash enormous sunfish into tiny pieces. Researchers are not totally sure why — it could be to feed younger orcas, or it could simply be fun!
What Happened?
In 2024, scientist Kathryn Ayres was diving as an ocean guide off the coast of Mexico when she saw something unbelievable. A group of orcas, including a young one, had caught a giant sunfish. But instead of just eating it, they tried something else entirely.
One adult orca grabbed the sunfish by its stubby tail and held it steady. Then, at exactly the right moment, it let go. At that same instant, a second adult orca came charging in at full speed — and BOOM. The collision exploded the sunfish into thousands of pieces.
A similar event was caught on video again in September 2025, in the same area of the Gulf of California. Scientists studied both events and published their findings this week in the journal Frontiers in Ethology.
The sunfish in both cases was already dead. It was a type called a sharp-tail sunfish. These fish can grow up to three meters long and weigh as much as 2,000 kilograms — that is heavier than a small car!
Why Does It Matter?
Orcas are already famous for being incredibly smart. They have been seen washing seals off ice sheets, hunting sharks, and teaching each other new tricks. This is the first time scientists have ever written about this exact move.
So why do it? The researchers think there are two possible reasons. First, it might be a way for adult orcas to help young ones eat more easily. Breaking a giant sunfish into smaller chunks is almost like a parent cutting food into bite-sized pieces for a child.
The second reason? It might just be fun. Orcas are well known for playing with their food, and this crash-and-smash technique could simply be an exciting game the pod invented together.
Scientists say they need to observe more events like this before they can know for sure.
Big Words
- Orca — also called a killer whale, orcas are actually the largest member of the dolphin family; they are known for being very intelligent and social
- Sunfish — one of the heaviest fish in the ocean; they have a round, flat body and can weigh as much as a small car
- Ethology — the scientific study of animal behavior, especially in the wild
- Carcass — the body of a dead animal
- Pod — the name for a family group of whales or dolphins who live and travel together
Fun Fact
Sunfish are one of the world’s heaviest bony fish. A full-grown sharp-tail sunfish can weigh up to 2,000 kilograms — that is about the same weight as a small car, or roughly 27 average 10-year-olds stacked together!
Think About It
Orcas seem to invent new hunting tricks and then teach them to younger members of their pod. Does that remind you of anything humans do? What do you think makes orcas so good at teamwork?
Sources
- CBC News — Orcas filmed smashing dead sunfish to bits at high speed
- CNN — Video shows orca ramming a sunfish so hard it was blasted to bits
- ABC News — Orcas filmed pulverizing sunfish in what could be either feeding strategy or fun, scientists say
- Frontiers in Ethology (via ScienceDaily) — Orcas filmed smashing giant sunfish into thousands of pieces
- ScienceAlert — Orcas Keep Punching Giant Sunfish to Smithereens