Orcas are known to hunt and eat several species of sharks, including great whites. Although great whites are considered the top marine predator, orcas are even more formidable. They are apex predators, meaning they are at the top of the food chain, and have been observed ganging up to hunt sea lions , seals, and even whales far bigger than ...

Mar 14, 2023 · While they eat mostly fish and small marine mammals, some populations of killer whales have developed a taste for sharks. During February's attack, the orcas—named Port and Starboard— appear ...

Jul 12, 2023 · Some orcas specialize in prey like bluefin tuna, elephant seals or even blue whales—but others focus on hunting sharks. In 2011, researchers first documented the behavior in the Pacific Ocean....

Apr 11, 2023 · But gruesome scenes in South Africa have turned that idea on its head: killer whales are taking down a dozen or more sharks in one day—and rather than feasting on every meaty morsel, the...

Apr 22, 2019 · Orcas kill great white sharks, then eat their calorie-dense livers. Michael Weberberger/Getty Images. It’s pretty much common wisdom that the top predator in the ocean is the great white...

5 days ago · What Do Orcas Eat on Great White Sharks? Orcas, often called killer whales, are apex predators at the top of the marine food chain, and they have a well-documented, often gruesome, predatory relationship with great white sharks.Contrary to what many might expect, orcas don’t consume great white sharks in their entirety.

Mar 8, 2025 · Yes, killer whales (orcas) absolutely eat sharks. In fact, sharks, including the formidable great white shark, are a regular part of the diet for some orca populations.

Feb 27, 2025 · The simple answer is nutrient density and specific compounds found in shark livers, particularly squalene, combined with strategic hunting behavior. Orcas, it turns out, are not always the indiscriminate eaters we might imagine.

Do orcas eat sharks? Yes, orcas eat sharks, including species like the great white shark. They have been observed preying on sharks by targeting specific parts, such as the liver.

Jul 16, 2019 · Biologists in South Africa investigate the remains of great white sharks killed by orcas, a behavior rarely witnessed firsthand. Though the great white is considered the top marine predator,...