Rare Footage Shows Three Orcas Killing Great White Shark

Three orcas were caught on film for the first time killing a great white shark.

The footage was captured off the coast of South Africa for Discovery’s Shark Week.

Discovery uploaded a clip of the video on TikTok, explaining, “This is the first time orcas have ever been filmed preying on great white.”

Scientists have been hypothesizing that white sharks are changing their migratory patterns due to orcas attacking them, but there’s never been concrete proof – until now.

In the clip, captured on a drone, you can see two orcas swimming close to a white shark, when a third orca suddenly comes up from under the water and begins thrashing around and biting the white shark.

The orca bites a chunk of the shark, ripping out its liver. It’s a gruesome act of the circle of life, but one that many scientists have found exciting and fascinating.

In an interview with the Daily Beast (who got exclusive access to the video), scientist and shark expert Alison Towner said:

“We’ve had all the evidence for killer whales being responsible for killing white sharks. But this is the world’s first drone footage of killer whales predating on a white shark. It’s the first time in South Africa it’s ever been documented as direct evidence.”

Towner even published a paper on the topic that talked about how orcas are driving great white sharks out of South African waters where they once thrived.

The white shark in the video may look small in comparison to the orcas, but it was 9 feet long! The orcas are just that much bigger.

Check out the video below:

@discovery #Orcas are preying on #greatwhitesharks in South Africa. 😱 🦈 #SharkWeek ♬ original sound – Discovery

The clip will be officially aired on Discovery and Discovery+ for Shark Week.