AssetID: 55872276
Headline: Bangers and Smash! Killer whales spotted 'lining up prey than ramming it to bits' in unprecedented behaviour
Caption: **VIDEO AVAILABLE: CONTACT INFO@COVERMG.COM TO RECEIVE** BY MARK WORGAN A pod of killer whales has been observed using a previously undocumented technique to smash one of the world's largest fish to smithereens so it is more digestible. Researchers have described the behaviour, as "ram-to-fragment", after witnessing orcas working together to shatter the carcass of a sharp-tail sunfish in Mexico's Gulf of California. The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Ethology, are based on two confirmed incidents and suggest the behaviour is a food-processing strategy rather than a hunting method. Kathryn Ayres, a research scientist with the conservation organisation Beneath the Waves, recorded one of the events in 2024. She watched as one female orca gripped the rear of a dead sharp-tail sunfish in her jaws, holding it steady in front of her body. Moments later, a second orca accelerated towards the fish and struck it head-on with such force that the impact produced an audible boom. According to the researchers, the collision caused the sunfish's tissue to disintegrate into thousands of fragments, which drifted through the water. The scientists say the behaviour is particularly striking because the sunfish had already been killed before the animals carried out the powerful impact. Rather than being used to catch prey, they believe the technique is designed to make feeding easier - and for play with calves. Ayres and her team write in their paper: “We describe two predation events in the Gulf of California in which adult orcas accelerated and struck a sharp-tail sunfish (Masturus lanceolatus) with sufficient force to cause substantial tissue fragmentation. “We propose that this ‘ram-to-fragment’ behavior may have multiple functions, including facilitating foraging for juvenile orcas or reflecting play behavior. The observed coordination between adults suggests a high degree of cooperative precision and could represent roles in prey processing, social interaction and learning.” The sharp-tail sunfish is among the heaviest bony fish in the world, weighing more than two tonnes and growing to more than 2.7m (9ft) in length. Previous observations have shown that orcas typically feed by targeting the fish's pectoral fins before opening the body cavity to consume the internal organs. In the newly documented cases, however, that feeding had already taken place before the animals rammed the carcass. It was only after reviewing footage from 2021 frame by frame that researchers realised one orca had deliberately stabilised the carcass while another delivered the impact. Ayres' recording from 2024 provided clearer evidence, while a third incident was filmed in September 2025 by digital creator Héctor Franz. During the 2024 event, a juvenile orca was seen feeding on the smaller fragments created by the impact, while the adults continued eating from the larger carcass. The scientists suggest breaking the tough-skinned sunfish into smaller pieces could make it easier for juveniles to feed. A calf was also present during the second recorded incident and fed from the remains. The species has previously been observed adopting unusual behaviours that spread through populations, including carrying dead salmon on their heads in the north-east Pacific, damaging boat rudders in the Strait of Gibraltar and selectively removing the livers of great white sharks.
Keywords: orcas, killer whales, feature, video, photo, nature, natural world
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