Watch the Moment a 60-Year-Old Grandmother Orca Named Sophia Hunts and Kills a Great White Shark in an Incredibly Rare Video
STUNNING footage has captured the moment a 60-year-old grandmother killer whale chases and kills a great white shark.
The beast, named Sophia, was captured in an incredibly rare video unleashing a fatal attack on its unsuspecting victim off the coast of South Africa.
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Filmed as part of National Geographic’s limited series ‘Queens’, Sophia is shown charging and crashing into the wall. shark.
The killer whale, as they are also known, unleashed a devastating blow by crashing into the side of its victim and breaking its ribs.
The clash between the two predatory heavyweights caused a huge splash in the water, before the dazed shark tries to escape.
But Sophia quickly turns around and continues to taunt the people animal by delivering several more blows to his body.
The shark then appears to tire before succumbing to its injuries.
Scientists believe this is the first time a single killer whale has been filmed killing a great white shark.
But Dr. Chris Lowe, a professor of marine biology, thinks the attack is likely to be extremely rare.
“Orcas are very smart animals,” he said ABC news. “They are very powerful and in some cases probably even more powerful than a great white shark.
“I think what we’re seeing is probably an anomaly. I don’t think it happens that often.
“We often think that white sharks are the largest predator in the ocean, when in reality they are killer whales.”
Orcas can grow to almost 9 meters in length and weigh up to six tons.
They are normally pack animals and prefer to hunt in small groups, known as pods.
But despite Dr. Lowe’s claims, attacks like Sophia’s almost never happen, scientists say climate change This can have an effect on the animals, causing them to adapt their hunting style.
Last week there appeared to be even more shocking images showing a lone orca mauling a great white shark in an “unprecedented” attack.
The orca was captured last year while eradicating the predator off the coast of Mossel Bay in South Africa.
It comes after numerous reports in recent years claim that orcas appear to be becoming more aggressive, following a number of attacks on ships.
In November, a group of killer whales attacked a boat in the Strait of Gibraltarcausing the yacht to be sunk in the fourth incident of its kind in just two years.
The orcas mercilessly struck the boat’s rudder, causing irreparable damage to the ship.
Orcas – the killer whales
ORCAS are the largest members of the oceanic dolphin family and are the world’s most powerful predators
Although they never attack humans, the deadly killers can take down large groups of whales, hence the name killer.
What makes them a unique marine mammal is that they often hunt in deadly packs and family groups of up to forty individuals – feasting on fish, penguins, seals – and even sharks.
The carnivores can grow up to 10 meters long and weigh up to six tonnes – and are immediately recognizable by their distinctive black and white colours.
With an average lifespan of about 82 years, killer whales can be found from the polar regions to the equator, near cold and coastal areas.
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