Killer Whale With a Case of the Mondays Tail Slaps a Stingray Into Tomorrow

What a spectacular hunting technique this killer whale uses against an unsuspecting . The magnificent predator glides underneath the ray, twists slightly and then delivers a devastating blow with its powerful tail. The ray is stunned and flicked onto its back. We don’t see what happens next but we can all guess. As the clip at the bottom of this page shows, killer whales truly are lethal predators.

What Do Killer Whales Normally Eat?

are also called orcas and are found in oceans all over the world. They live together in pods that are often led by an older female. She knows where the best hunting grounds are. These guys are exceptionally . They are willing to hunt a large variety of prey and eat on average around 100 pounds of food a day. Orcas typically hunt seals, sea lions, and smaller whales and dolphins. However, they also eat fish, sharks, and squid and octopuses. Also, they are happy to snatch the occasional seabird if they get the chance! Smaller prey is swallowed whole but larger prey is torn up into pieces before it is swallowed.

What Hunting Techniques Do Killer Whales Use?

This is just one of the used by killer whales. Some orca observers refer to it as ‘ray plucking’. The killer whales have worked out that if you flip a ray onto its back it enters a state of paralysis. This is called tonic immobilization. Sometimes, they flip them over with their tail as we see in this clip. At other times they may pin the ray upside down on the ocean floor. Orcas have been seen removing the ray’s venomous spines with their teeth.

Killer whales use a ‘wave washing’ technique for hunting seals. They work cooperatively to chip away at the sides of floating ice. This reduces the area that the seals have to take refuge on. They may even push the ice into open water away from any other floating ice or debris. This leaves the seals in a more vulnerable position. Then, they retreat to some distance away. Together, they hurtle towards the ice and, at the last moment, dive underneath it. This creates a wave that flips the ice over. The poor seal gets catapulted into the air, washed into the water, and soon gets gobbled up by the waiting orcas!