The rapid evisceration of a great white in Mossel Bay, South Africa, has changed the way science views great white shark predation by orcas
The orca known as Starboard – part of a duo that has been terrorising South Africa’s great white sharks for the better part of a decade – has been witnessed killing and surgically removing a great white’s liver – by himself – in under two minutes. It is the first time a lone orca has been documented making the kill.
The two male orcas known as Port and Starboard – named for the way their dorsal fins flop in opposing directions – are thought to have been predating great whites in the area since 2015, with the first evidence published in 2017. It has previously been assumed that they stalked their prey together, or as part of a larger pack of six animals.
The latest observation, which took place in Mossel Bay in June 2023, was published in the African Journal of Marine Science, by a team led by Dr Alison Towner, of South Africa’s Rhodes University, who has been studying the predation of great whites in the region since Port and Starboard’s killing spree began.
‘Killer whales, or orcas, usually team up when they hunt, although they can hunt solitarily,’ said Towner ‘The unusual aspect was witnessing Starboard hunting a white shark alone and in a remarkably rapid timeframe.’
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The study reports that both Port and Starboard had been seen in the area around Mossel Bay on 18 June, with ‘a notable surface slick’ and ‘the distinct smell of shark liver’ present in the water – suggesting that the orcas had already killed at least one shark earlier that day.
Later in the afternoon, a juvenile great white, approximately 2.5m in length, was spotted at the surface. Starboard is reported to have appeared directly behind it, whereupon he ‘gripped the left pectoral fin of the shark and thrust forward with the shark several times before eventually eviscerating it.’
Witnesses to the incident report that following the evisceration, Starboard approached their boat displaying ‘a bloody piece of peach-coloured liver in its mouth.’
The observation has changed the way that the scientists regard the manner in which orcas hunt large sharks. While it is not uncommon for killer whales to hunt by themselves, it is the first time the behaviour has been associated with predation on great whites.
In 2019, Port was seen carrying the carcass of a bronze whaler in his mouth, hence the paper theorises that the age and size of the shark is important in determining the orcas’ hunting strategy – at just 2.5m in length and 100kg in weight, a juvenile great white shark presents little physical challenge to an adult male orca, which can reach more than 8.5m in length and weigh in at over five metric tonnes.
A fully grown female great white, however, can reach more than 5m and 2,000g in weight, and would present a more serious challenge to the orcas – although judging by the number of shark carcasses found over the years, apparently not much of one.
‘This sighting revealed evidence of solitary hunting by at least one killer whale, challenging conventional cooperative hunting behaviours known in the region, said Towner. ‘These are groundbreaking insights into the predatory behaviour of this species, and our findings significantly contribute to the global understanding of killer whale predation dynamics, enhancing knowledge of marine ecosystems and predator-prey relationships.’
Port and Starboard’s presence around the southern coast of South Africa has had a dramatic impact on great white populations in the area. False Bay, once a hotspot for great white cage diving has been almost devoid of the species since 2017, until a spate of sightings in November 2023 potentially signalled their return.
The pair have become something of local celebrities, and – judging by Starboard’s behaviour following the kill – have, perhaps, been enjoying the media attention.
‘The other fascinating thing about this observation was the killer whale came up with the liver in his mouth and went over to the boat [that witnessed the attack],’ said Towner in an interview with Sky News. ‘They got a real firsthand look at how that looks – it’s very Silence of the Lambs-ish!’
The paper, ‘Further insights into killer whales Orcinus orca preying on white sharks Carcharodon carcharias in South Africa’, by Alison Towner, et al, is published in The African Journal of Marine Science under an open access licence.
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