Stunning drone footage captured earlier this year off the coast of South Africa shows three orcas in the middle of killing a great white shark, which supports a theory that the apex predator has been driven out of its typical habitats.
The footage was published by The Daily Beast on Wednesday.
The video shows two orcas swimming in the bright teal water of Mossel Bay, which is known for its great whites.
A third orca rises from the depths and carries a great white shark in its mouth. Blood can be seen around the dead shark as the orca reaches the surface. A shark is being carried by an orca below the surface.
The world's first drone footage of killer whales and a white shark was filmed by Alison Towner, a scientist based in South Africa. It is the first evidence of the phenomenon to be documented in South Africa.
She said it was one of the prettiest pieces of natural history ever filmed.
There are rare occurrences of great white sharks being preyed on by orcas.
A study published by the African Journal of Marine Science in June suggested that great white sharks had fled a common aggregation site in South Africa because of the presence of killer whales.
The carcasses of dead great whites had been washing up on the shore with their hearts missing. According to the study, the wounds on the sharks were caused by the same pair of orcas.
The orca is holding a shark in its mouth.
Great whites left the area because of the attacks, according to the authors.
"What we seem to be seeing is a large-scale avoidance strategy, similar to what we see used by wild dogs in the Serengeti in response to increased lion presence," Towner said.
The bronze whaler shark may have increased in size due to the decrease in great whites in the area, according to the study authors.
In South Africa, predator-prey interactions between white sharks, other coastal sharks, and killer whales are increasing.
The special "Shark House" on Discovery and Discovery+ will show the footage from the drones.
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