Gruesome vision reveals 'freaking weird' battles between ocean giants

Gruesome vision reveals 'freaking weird' battles between ocean giants

Source: news.yahoo

2/25/2023

Credit: Machi Yoshida

Videos and images shared online have helped scientists unlock a series of mysteries about the complex but often brutal relationship between two giants of the ocean.

While Facebook and Instagram are often vilified for having a negative effect on society, content shared on these platforms has provided a scientific breakthrough. New Zealand (Aotearoa) researchers spent two years meticulously analysing footage frame-by-frame to better understand why orcas are targeting sunfish, the world’s largest bony fish.

They witnessed orcas selecting them for their high water content, sucking them dry like popsicles. Equally interesting were the complex manoeuvres lumbering sunfish are using to escape. This behaviour has been reported all over the world wherever the two species touch paths.