Killer Whale Wins The Battle Of The Titans
The great white shark and the killer whale are the most formidable predators in the sea. These animals are so dangerous that they would never challenge each other…or so we thought. One morning, off the Californian coast, a boatload of tourists witnessed the ultimate clash of the titans: an unexpected killing challenges the great white shark’s supremacy as the ultimate predator when one became prey to a killer whale.
The Whale That Ate Jaws examines this extraordinary incident. Featuring amazing underwater footage of two whales feeding on the shark, this show reveals an astonishing new perspective on the relationship between the ocean’s two top predators.
The killer whale (Orcinus orca), also referred to as the orca whale or orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas. Killer whales as a species have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as sea lions, seals, walruses, and even large whales. Killer whales are regarded as apex predators, lacking natural predators.
Killer whales are highly social; some populations are composed of matrilineal family groups which are the most stable of any animal species. Their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviors, which are often specific to a particular group and passed across generations, have been described as manifestations of culture.
The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a species of large lamniform shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans.The great white shark is an apex predator of the seas and has no natural predators. The great white shark is arguably the world’s largest known extant macropredatory fish, and is one of the primary predators of marine mammals. It is also known to prey upon a variety of other marine animals, including fish and seabirds.
Apparent death, colloquially known as playing dead or playing possum, is a behavior observed in a wide range of animals which take on the appearance of being dead. This form of animal deception is an adaptive behavior known either as tonic immobility, or thanatosis. Apparent death can be used as a defense mechanism or as a form of aggressive mimicry. Tonic immobility is the greatest weakness of Sharks
In a 1997 eyewitness case around the Farallon Islands off the coast of California, a female orca was seen purposely inducing tonic immobility in a great white shark. The orca held the shark upside down to induce the tonic immobility, and kept the shark still for fifteen minutes, causing it to suffocate to death. This was the first recorded eyewitness case of predation on a great white shark in the wild by a species other than humans. Another case of orcas purposely inducing tonic immobility in fish has been documented with stingrays in New Zealand. In this case, the orcas turn themselves upside down before attacking, trap the stingrays in their mouths, then quickly right themselves, in turn flipping the stingray over, inducing the tonic immobility, rendering the fish helpless and an easy meal.
Killer Whales from L.A Pod used their hunting technique developed intelligently to kill The Great White Sharks by putting them into Tonic Immobility by putting them upside down. Killer whales precisely know what they are doing.
Some sharks can be placed in a tonic state. The shark remains in this state for an average of 15 minutes before recovering. Scientists have exploited this phenomenon to study shark behaviour. The effects of chemical shark repellent have been studied to test effectiveness and to more accurately estimate dose sizes, concentrations and time to awaken.
Sharks may not always respond to tonic immobility by physical inversion of the animal, as has been demonstrated with lemon and reef sharks. With tiger sharks 3–4 metres (10 to 15 feet) in length, tonic immobility may be achieved by placing hands lightly on the sides of the animal’s snout approximate to the general area surrounding its eyes. Great White sharks have been shown to be less responsive than other species when tonic immobility has been attempted. Scientists believe that tonic immobility displayed by sharks may be linked with defense, because female sharks seem more responsive than males. During tonic immobility, the dorsal fin(s) straighten, and both breathing and muscle contractions become more steady and relaxed.
The effect of tonic immobility can be counter by Scent Of Death- That is being produced on the death of similar ocenic family. This was the reason why hundreds of the Great White Sharks have fled the region on death of their clan member.
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