However, only time will tell what the future holds for orcas, sharks, and other animals here now that a new predator seems to have entered the scene. “We're a little worried that will take up residence there and go after the sharks and mantas ,” said MarAlliance. This doesn't mean they don't prey upon them, but with the amount of boat activity and people on the water, there is a strong likelihood it would have been documented by now.” This is the biggest predation event on the planet, says. Up on the Ningaloo, there are many opportunities for the orca to predate upon whale sharks- and yet none have been observed doing so. Now, for the first time, scientists witnessed a pod of killer whales bring down the world’s largest animal: an adult blue whale. There has only ever been one anecdotal report of an interaction, where the killer whale came from below and pushed the whale shark up – essentially trying to flip it,” she commented. Although in saying that, there are surplus humpback calves for the orca to prey upon, which might be a juicier option.

Bec Wellard remembering an interaction between orcas and whale sharks in Australia! “In all the years we’ve been working with the killer whales on the Ningaloo, we’ve never seen a predation on the whale sharks.

The recent interaction has sparked conversations worldwide, with marine scientist Dr. However, the organization does note that orcas were documented hunting and partially eating a whale shark in Baja California about twenty-two years ago, although that video was shot above water by a John O.

Do killer whales eat blue whales