A remarkable encounter in the Gulf of California has left marine researchers searching for answers after two orcas smashed into a dead sunfish with enough force to break it apart.
The unusual behavior, recorded during two separate observations, has sparked interest because it appears to serve more than one purpose. While the technique may help adult orcas prepare food for younger members of the pod, researchers also believe it could reflect the species' playful nature.
The observations were published in the journal Frontiers in Ethology on July 23. Researchers described the behavior as "ram-to-fragment," a feeding strategy in which one orca holds a dead sunfish while another charges toward it at high speed. Instead of hunting the fish, the goal is to break its tough body into smaller pieces.
The sunfish involved in the encounters was already dead. Even so, processing it remained difficult because sunfish can weigh up to 2,000 kilograms and have thick, bony bodies that are hard to tear apart.
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Powerful Impact Leaves Researchers Stunned
During the first documented event in July 2024 near Baja California Sur, Mexico, an adult female orca gripped the sharp-tail sunfish by its tail-like clavus, often called the rudder. Moments before impact, the female released the carcass while an adult male rushed forward and struck it at full speed.
The collision produced a loud boom as the fish burst into multiple fragments, scattering pieces through the water. The dramatic moment prompted scientist Kathryn Ayres, who works with the conservation nonprofit Beneath the Waves, to exclaim, "Oh my god!"
Ayres later told Live Science, "It was unlike anything I'd witnessed before." She also explained, "I had also seen orcas ram their prey previously, but I had never witnessed an impact powerful enough to completely fragment the tissue like this."
After the impact, a young orca moved in to feed on the smaller pieces of flesh, while the adults continued feeding from the remaining carcass. This observation supports the idea that the behavior helps make large prey easier for younger pod members to consume.
Researchers noted that the purpose was not to kill the sunfish because it had already died before the encounter. Instead, breaking it into manageable pieces appeared to improve feeding efficiency for the entire group.
A Second Sighting Strengthened the Discovery
Instagram | oceana | Orcas work in pairs to smash tough sunfish into bite-sized pieces by high-speed ramming.
A similar event was recorded in September 2025 by diver Héctor Franz. The second observation closely matched the first, giving researchers stronger evidence that the behavior is not an isolated incident.
Scientists also noted that orcas have previously been observed using similar ramming techniques against whale sharks. Those encounters involved multiple whales taking turns to strike large prey, suggesting this strategy may be part of a broader feeding pattern used against oversized prey.
The newly documented "ram-to-fragment" behavior offers another example of the intelligence and adaptability of orcas. Preparing food for younger animals remains the strongest explanation based on the observations. At the same time, researchers cannot completely rule out another possibility. Orcas are widely known for playful and complex social behavior, so some of these powerful collisions may also involve an element of play.
As more encounters are recorded, scientists hope to better understand when orcas choose this remarkable technique and what drives them to use it.