Orcas know how to hunt and kill the world’s largest fish, reveals new research [Video]

Scientists have for the first time seen orcas hunting whale sharks, the biggest fish on the planet, new research has revealed.

The question of how orcas are able to kill the enormous fish is resolved by the dramatic video above, which also demonstrates that whale sharks are probably a common food source for some pods.

Shark ecologist Kathryn Ayres spotted a group of orcas circling on May 26 when she was leading visitors on an ocean safari close to La Paz, Mexico. Ms Ayres remarked, “I knew some poor animal was being tormented. They like to play with their food.”

Although there has previously been anecdotal evidence that orcas could kill whale sharks, marine scientists have now thoroughly recorded the behaviour for the first time by examining four distinct hunting incidents that were captured on camera.

The study, which was released Friday (November 29) in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, details hunts that took place between …