Orcas Are Able to Kill and Eat Blue Whales, Scientists Confirm
The New York Times
Recordings in seas off Australia proved that the predatory prowess of killer whales is inescapable, even for the adults of the largest species that ever lived.
In March 2019, scientists studying whales near Southwestern Australia stumbled upon a supersize spectacle that few had seen before — a pod of orcas viciously attacking a blue whale.
Over a dozen orcas surrounded the mighty animal. They had already bitten off its dorsal fin, and the animal was unable to evade the fast and agile predators. The water ran red with the blood of the massive creature, and chunks of its flesh were floating all around. The scientists observed one orca force its way into the blue whale’s mouth and feast on its tongue. It took an hour for the orcas to kill the blue whale, and once they did, about 50 other orcas showed up to devour the carcass.
Orcas, also known as killer whales despite being members of the same family as dolphins, are apex predators who are known to feed on nearly every species of large whale. But, they typically go after calves and not adults. This was the first time that orcas had been observed successfully killing and eating an adult blue whale.
