I came across this video the other day and I just can’t get it out of my head. It shows an orca literally smashing a sunfish to bits. One holds it by the tail, and the other just rams it at full speed.
The real puzzle here is… why? Sunfish are the heaviest bony fish in the world, but they’re no match for an orca. So what’s going on? It really challenges what we think we know about animal behavior.
Some scientists think it might not be about food at all, but a form of play. It’s a tough concept to wrap your head around – such a brutal game. It makes you realize how much we still have to learn about the ocean, and how vital the work of scientists and those in the world of nature photography is for helping us see it.
The incredible footage was captured by marine biologist and National Geographic Explorer Katy Ayres (@drkatyayres), and it’s definitely worth a look if you want to see this strange behavior for yourself.