Grisly new footage shows orcas attacking a great white shark and eating its liver

A pair of killer whales in South Africa have been killing and eating great white sharks for the last five years. They don't need fava beans or chianti. The first video footage of an orca-on-shark attack has been shared.

Researchers reported in June that at least eight great white sharks had been attacked by the two male orcas Port and Starboard. One of the killer whales is known for its floppy fins, which droops to the left or port side, and the other is known for its aggressiveness.

The new footage, shot during an hour-long hunt via drone and helicopter, reveals that the orca known as Starboard helped several Pod-mates attack and eat a great white shark.

All previous whale-on-shark attacks in the region were inferred from the carcasses of dead sharks.

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"This behavior has never been witnessed in detail before, and certainly never from the air," said Alison Towner, the lead study author.

Some of the evasive tactics used by great whites were revealed in the new footage.

On two occasions, an orca hunter slowly approached a great white with the intent to kill, but the shark, rather than fleeing, stayed close to the orca and kept it in sight while circling through the water. The team said that the strategy likely isn't very effective against orcas, who hunt in groups.

Orcas have killed everything from little fish to fearsome sharks around the world. The researchers wrote in the African Journal of Marine Science that the orcas had an immediate impact on their habitat.

Attacks from Port, Starboard and their gang have inspired the great white sharks to adopt large-scale avoidance strategies. The area has been dominated by white people.

Long-term shark migrations have an effect on the ecology. The bronze whaler shark is a mid-level predator that has moved into the area to replace the great whites. Bronze whalers are preyed upon by great whites, but with the big guys away, bronze whaler spotting has increased. The team said that this shift could put negative pressure on the entire system.