Two male orcas on gruesome killing spree are ripping out shark livers

Two male killer whales are on a killing spree in the waters off the coast of South Africa. These creatures are known to make small work of great white sharks - they hunt them down, pull out their livers and leave them to die. Marine biologists are puzzled to see the orcas display such gruesome behaviour, especially against someone as massive as the white sharks that are considered mighty predators in the ocean.

These two killer whales are named Port and Starboard and have reportedly killed dozens of sharks, Washington Post reported. Most of their victims were the great whites who could not escape the marine murderers. Those who have witnessed the whales killing the sharks are amazed by their skill of clearly cutting through the belly to rip out the liver. They then heartlessly leave the sharks to die.

More orcas are killing sharks

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Experts say that Port and Starboard are not the only killer whales hunting the sharks. However, they are the most known ones since they have always been seen hunting as a pair.

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They are believed to belong to a larger group of whales and break off to go on their own killing spree.

The whales killing the sharks has caused widespread ecological repercussions. The sharks, in their bid to escape the danger zones, have relocated. Their absence has disrupted the food chain, leading to a rise in the number of animals that made up their food, including Cape fur seals, the publication reported. In the absence of their predator, the seals and other creatures have been going all out against their prey.

When did the killing spree begin?

Marine biologists say that False Bay near Cape Town was once dominated by great white sharks. During an hour-long dive, one could easily spot dozens of them at Miller's Point.

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In 2009, the orcas, or the killer whales, entered the region. They fed on common dolphins and humpback whales and lived peacefully with the sharks. But in Nov, 2015, the sharks vanished overnight at Miller's Point, Washington Post reported. Divers soon started seeing sevengill carcasses with cuts on their underbelly.

Alison Kock, a marine scientist with South African National Parks, told the publication, “We really didn’t know what had caused this,” adding that the first thought was that humans were responsible.

By 2016, more carcasses started popping up. Researchers found that all organs were intact in their bodies except the liver. Upon further analysis, they noted that the scratchlike injuries on their fins were similar to teeth marks orcas made on their prey. This led them to conclude that the killer whales were murdering the great white sharks.