Orcas continue to stun scientists with their cunning, flipping and slapping prey with their tails

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 09:42

A picture shows a killer whale flipping over a dolphin — A dolphin soars through the air as it falls prey to a killer whale near Big Sur, California.
Josh McInnes et al. Plos ONE, 2024 (CC-BY SA 4.0)

A group of orcas off the coast of California has honed a brutal set of hunting skills.
Trapping prey near an underwater canyon, they flip, drown, ram, and slap their targets to death.
Killer whales are apex predators; their behavior can reshape ecosystems the fishing industry.

There's no shortage of awe when it comes to killer whales. The mysterious apex predators are continually shocking scientists with their ability to figure out creative new ways to kill their prey and shape their environment.