Scientists document orcas using a "stabilize-and-ram" technique to explode sunfish off Baja California

Off the shores of Cabo San Lucas, researcher Kathryn Ayres observed one orca holding a sunfish in its mouth while a second lined up and rammed it at high speed, leaving thousands of sunfish fragments scattered in the water. The behavior was captured on video and formed the basis of a peer-reviewed paper published Thursday.

Study co-author Erick Higuera described the behavior as "highly specialized biology" rather than something unusual or cruel. He and his co-authors believe the technique may help younger or toothless orcas feed more easily on a prey item that is otherwise difficult to consume — sunfish can weigh thousands of pounds and have dense, rubbery, collagen-rich skin several inches thick.

Robert Pitman, a marine ecologist at Oregon State University who was not involved in the study, offered broader context. He noted that older orcas that eat sharks sometimes have teeth worn down to the gums, and that younger orcas without teeth face similar challenges. "I think this behavior is a clever way to deal with a difficult prey item," he said, adding that he had previously seen orcas carrying sunfish like "a large pizza box in its mouth" without understanding what they intended to do with them.