November 3, 2025, 10:27 am | Read time: 6 minutes
For a long time, it was only suspected that orcas hunt great white sharks. However, this assumption has now been disproven by videos showing orcas attacking the sharks and even targeting their innards.
Orcas Hunt Great White Sharks—and How!
Orcas are known as apex predators, meaning they are at the top of the food chain and have no direct predators. They hunt various marine mammals, seals, turtles, etc. But now there are also videos proving that orcas hunt and eat great white sharks, which were also long considered apex predators. And they are quite selective in doing so.
Orcas do not hunt alone but in groups. They cut off all escape routes for their prey, often using circular strategies. They primarily circle their prey and then strike coldly. Researchers long suspected that great white sharks could be prey for these marine mammals, as there was no direct evidence. A video, for which scientists published a paper in the journal “Ecological Society of America” in 2022, confirmed the assumption.1
In May 2022, drone pilot and co-author of the paper, Christiaan Stopforth, filmed this event off the coast of the South African city of Mossel Bay. It shows five orcas surrounding and observing a great white shark for 40 minutes. Subsequently, an orca nudged the shark to the surface with its rostrum (the front end of the animal’s body), likely killing it instantly. After this attack, the same orca bit the great white shark in the pectoral fin area, creating a cloud of blood in the water.
Great White Sharks Fled the Area After Orca Attacks
On the same day, local helicopter pilot Dudley Archer flew over the area and witnessed orcas killing two more great white sharks. He captured some images and video sequences with a smartphone camera. Additionally, there is a series of images showing orcas consuming a shark liver.
Following these attacks, further investigations were conducted to understand the behavior of the great white sharks. Using additional drone and cage-diving data before and after these predation events, researchers concluded: “Given the well-documented, predictable year-round presence of great white sharks in Mossel Bay, the sudden absence of great white sharks for several weeks immediately after the predation suggests a flight response of the surviving great white sharks in the area.”
Furthermore, the researchers elaborate that several great white sharks were hunted by orcas on that day: “At least two, possibly three, great white sharks were killed by a group of orcas in Mossel Bay on May 16 over a period of about 71 minutes. Previous evidence of great white shark deaths by orcas was limited to recovered carcasses.” Thus, the videos are also the first direct evidence that orcas hunt and kill great white sharks.
Orcas Have Targeted Tactics for Hunting Great White Sharks
Their hunting methods are even more sophisticated than previously thought. Researchers have now documented how killer whales specifically target juvenile great white sharks to consume their fat-rich livers—a behavior rarely observed in this form before. What makes the footage so special: The killer whales apparently use specific techniques to put their prey into a kind of “trance.” 2
Especially in the Gulf of California (GC), where killer whales are present year-round, there have been no confirmed reports of such deadly interactions with young great white sharks. However, sightings of these sharks are increasing there—possibly due to oceanographic changes like El Niño and marine heatwaves. This raises new questions about the potential role of orcas as regulating predators in these changing habitats. The newly documented incidents are the first recorded hunting events for Mexico—and only the second worldwide.
The study was conducted by Jesús Erick Higuera-Rivas (Conexiones Terramar A.C.) in collaboration with Francesca Pancaldi, Salvador J. Jorgensen, and Edgar Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla. It was published on November 3, 2025, in the journal “Frontiers in Marine Science.”
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Orcas Flip Great White Sharks on Their Backs
The team documented targeted attacks by orcas on young great white sharks for the first time. Drone and underwater footage were examined. These show that certain orca groups are apparently even specialized in hunting sharks—and do so with remarkable precision. The new finding: Even the smaller, juvenile sharks are not safe from these marine predators.
In both documented cases, orcas specifically targeted young great white sharks to extract their livers. The animals were strategically flipped onto their backs—a behavior used, according to the study, to induce tonic immobility and thus disable the sharks’ movement. This significantly facilitates access to the liver. In both attacks, the liver was extracted and shared within the group, including calves.
The rest of the body was left behind. On August 15, 2020, the attack was carried out by four subadult and one adult female orca. On August 3, 2022, the group was mixed (with an adult male and a calf). In both cases, a great white shark about two meters long was overwhelmed within minutes, with bleeding injuries on the belly side and exposed liver parts documented.
Orca Attacks on Great White Sharks Could Increase in the Future
The targeted consumption of liver tissue—while rejecting the rest of the body—indicates a highly selective dietary preference. The study positions itself within a growing line of research focused on the behavioral ecology of orcas and their potential role as “super predators” in various marine ecosystems. As mentioned at the beginning, great white sharks are also considered apex predators and have only one proven natural enemy.
The videos have also provided new insights into the evasive behavior of great white sharks. Orcas follow the great white sharks closely but slowly. The sharks, in turn, circle the orcas tightly while keeping the killer whales in sight. However, this maneuver is not particularly helpful, as they can hardly escape the entire group.
The researchers also point out that the targeted attacks by orcas could become a major problem for the sharks: “If there is cultural transmission among orcas, this will have far-reaching impacts on shark populations and must be considered in future studies.” The hunting strategies of different orca family groups are highly specialized. If there is knowledge exchange between different “pods,” the already threatened great white sharks could be in serious trouble, and orca attacks could become more frequent.