Unexpected Orca Behavior: They charge exploding fish with powerful strikes

Orcas have been observed engaging in a peculiar and forceful behavior: repeatedly striking large, dead sunfish with such impact that the prey literally explodes.

“

I saw this behavior for the first time in December 2021, and the force of that collision was astonishing. Seeing a top predator strike such a large fish at that speed was incredible.

Scientists are exploring the possibility that this is a form of play. In several documented instances, an orca holds a sunfish in its jaws while another orca strikes it at high speed. The resulting disintegration of the fish's body into thousands of pieces is startling.

This behavior was first witnessed in December 2021 by marine biologist Erik Iger Rivas of the Mexican organization "Conexiones Terramar." He described the force of the collision as "astonishing" and immediately recognized it as something highly unusual, noting the "explosion of tissue on a massive scale."

“

It was immediately clear to us that we were observing something very unusual, as the explosion of tissue was on a massive scale.

Since then, the same behavior has been documented at least two more times, in 2024 and 2025. Researchers, including Iger Rivas and marine scientist Katherine Ayers, described the highly coordinated action in a new paper published in Frontiers in Ethology. They suggest it might help younger orcas learn to feed or that the orcas might simply be entertaining themselves, as they are known to play with their food.

“

We think this behavior could help younger orcas feed more easily, but it's also possible they are simply having fun. Orcas are known to play with their food. When you see a multi-ton apex predator charging a huge fish at that speed right next to your boat, the powerful sound of the impact and the explosion of tissue are completely stunning.

Sunfish can grow over three meters long and weigh up to 2,000 kilograms. While orcas commonly hunt and eat them, the strikes in these cases did not kill the fish. Careful analysis of the footage revealed that the sunfish were likely already dead, with their nutritious internal organs removed prior to the forceful impacts.

“

When we see such a powerful collision at high speed, it's natural to assume it's the final blow to incapacitate the prey. However, upon careful analysis of the footage, we discovered that the sunfish were most likely already dead and their nutritious internal organs had been removed before the strike itself.