Lead

Marine scientists have documented killer whales ramming dead sunfish at high speed, causing the fish to explode into fragments — a behaviour they say may help younger orcas feed or might simply be for fun. The events were captured on video in the Gulf of California in 2024 and 2025, and the findings have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Ethology.

Coverage Comparison

The story drew attention from ABC Australia, Dawn, and The Guardian — World, each presenting the unusual behaviour with a slightly different emphasis.

ABC Australia highlighted the unique nature of the hunting technique, describing how a female orca holds a dead sharptail sunfish steady while a male charges into it at high speed. The report noted that the impact creates "an explosion of scales, collagen and viscera," and that the behaviour may serve to break the sunfish into smaller pieces for easier feeding, particularly for juvenile or sub-adult members of the pod.

Dawn framed the story as an "unusual underwater escapade," noting that the sunfish is already dead before the orcas ram into it, and that the behaviour might be an attempt to turn the fish into smaller bite-sized chunks. The outlet also quoted researcher Kathryn Ayres saying "it could also just be for fun," as orcas are known for playing with their food.

The Guardian — World emphasised the "gory" nature of the behaviour, describing how orcas were observed holding a sunfish in their jaws while a second whale smashed into it at high speed. The report noted that since the fish had already been killed, scientists suggested the behaviour may represent a form of play.

All three outlets credited the research to a team including Kathryn Ayres of the US-based non-profit Beneath The Waves and Erick Higuera of the Mexican non-profit Conexiones Terramar. The behaviour was captured on two occasions: the first in July 2024 by Dr Ayres using a GoPro camera, and the second in September 2025 by a tourism operator or herpetologist Héctor Franz.

Key Claims

  • Ramming behaviour: Orcas have been observed ramming into sunfish, causing them to explode into thousands of pieces. The sunfish are already dead before the orcas ram into them.
  • Video evidence: The behaviour was captured on video in the Gulf of California in 2024 and 2025.
  • Possible purpose: Scientists suggest the behaviour may help younger orcas feed more easily by breaking the fish into smaller pieces, or it could be a form of play or social learning.
  • Previous knowledge: Orcas are known for exhibiting complex and sophisticated hunting strategies, including playing with their prey and using tools.
  • Sunfish characteristics: Sunfish can grow up to 3 metres in length and weigh up to 2 tonnes.

Perspectives

Researchers and scientists: Kathryn Ayres of Beneath The Waves and Erick Higuera of Conexiones Terramar, co-authors of the research, suggest the behaviour may help younger orcas feed more easily or could simply be for fun. ABC Australia quoted Higuera describing the impact as overwhelming, with a "sheer acoustic thud and the resulting explosion of tissue."

External experts: Mark Peter Simmonds, director of science at OceanCare, likened the behaviour to "human formal meals where socialising as well as nutrition are in play," as quoted by Dawn. Rebecca Wellard, a scientist at Western Australia's Curtin University who was not involved in the research, commented on the intelligence of orcas, saying, "It just really shows us how intelligent orca are," also as quoted by Dawn.