Orcas have been observed exhibiting a previously unknown collaborative feeding strategy, where they ram into large sunfish with enough force to cause them to explode.

Research Findings

According to researchers, this behavior was captured on underwater video in the Mexican Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California in 2024 and 2025. The footage suggests that the orcas may be using this strategy to obtain a meal or possibly as a form of play.

The orcas were seen holding a sunfish by its tail, and then another orca would swim towards it at high speed, causing the sunfish to explode into countless pieces. The orcas would then feed on the remains.

Researchers believe that this behavior may be unique to orcas and could be an adaptation to their environment. The sunfish’s flattened body structure may make it more susceptible to explosion after a high-speed impact.

The study’s lead author, Kathryn Ayres, noted that the orcas had already consumed the sunfish’s internal organs before slamming into it, suggesting that the explosion may not have served an immediate feeding purpose and could have been for entertainment.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.