Orcas, also known as killer whales, are hunting and killing blue whales , the largest mammal ever to live on Earth, according to a new study published in the journal Marine Mammal Science.
They were responsible for the Cetacean Research Center in Western Australia who saw the bloody scene in Bremer Bay while conducting an annual investigation. The orcas were hunting and eating an adult blue whale between 18 and 22 meters long, according to their observations. Orcas measure about 9 meters on average.
But there were up to 14 orcas that savagely attacked this blue whale . These animals are highly intelligent and can coordinate hunting tactics like a pack of wolves. But, despite being known as “killer whales”, they are the largest representative of the dolphin family. The discovery of this great predation event that took place in 2019, is detailed in the investigation. But the team reported a new event in which killer whales were feeding on a blue whale calf just a few months ago, in March 2021.
Killer whales have been known to harass and attack blue whales, but for a healthy adult blue whale to occur is unheard of.
Killer whales typically feed on many species, including humpback and gray whale calves, but it was unknown that killer whales would attack and kill a fully fledged adult blue whale ( Balaenoptera musculus ), the largest animal that ever lived weighing approximately 140,000 kilos.
Referencia: Jorgensen, S.J., Anderson, S., Ferretti, F. et al. Killer whales redistribute white shark foraging pressure on seals. Sci Rep 9, 6153 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-39356-2
