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Researchers with the U.S.-based nonprofit Beneath The Waves have documented a group of killer whales tearing a sunfish to pieces in a rare underwater display, offering fresh insight into orca behavior, according to research published Thursday in the journal Frontiers in Ethology.
Video footage released by Beneath The Waves shows one orca holding the tail of a sunfish before a second whale charges at full force into the rotund mola mola, causing it to fragment into pieces.
Because the sunfish was already dead, researchers note this was not a hunting tactic. Instead, lead author Dr. Kathryn Ayres, a research scientist with Beneath The Waves, explained it might be a method to break the fish into smaller, bite-sized chunks.
"Or it could also just be for fun. Orcas are known for playing with their food," Ayres said. "Orcas often tear apart prey and share it with other members of the group, including calves and juveniles."
The behavior was documented on two occasions in 2024 and 2025 off the Gulf of California.
Mark Peter Simmonds, director of science at OceanCare, likened the behavior to human gatherings. "It is reminiscent of human formal meals where socializing as well as nutrition are in play," Simmonds stated.
"Perhaps it is similar to the time when the lead human at a formal meal would carve up the roast," he said.
Killer whales are highly intelligent apex predators and have been known to play with their prey and deploy sophisticated tactics to ensnare them.
They have been documented engaging in "wave washing," cooperating to create choppy waters that knock seals off sheets of ice so they can be more easily captured and eaten.
Orcas have also been observed wearing dead salmon as hats for reasons that remain a mystery. Furthermore, they utilize tools; research last year revealed that a critically endangered population of orcas in the Salish Sea breaks off pieces of seaweed to rub and groom one another.
"It just really shows us how intelligent orcas are," said Rebecca Wellard, a scientist at Western Australia's Curtin University who was not involved in the research. "I think I hope that gives people more respect for complex creatures that are great predators in their environment."
A sunfish can weigh up to 2,000 kilograms (4,400 pounds) and is distinct for both its massive size and peculiar shape, featuring a flattened body and prominent fins.
They do not commonly explode, the study notes. "They're a heavy, bony fish, so it must be some severe ramming," Wellard added.
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