Scientists in Mexico have captured surprising videos of orcas hitting giant fish at very high speeds. The strong hits break the large fish into thousands of small pieces in the water.
The target fish is the sharp-tail sunfish. Sunfish can grow up to three meters long and weigh up to 2,000 kilograms. They have very thick, rubbery skin. Orcas like to hunt and eat sunfish, but biting through their tough skin is difficult.
In July 2024, marine scientist Kathryn Ayres recorded the behavior on camera in the Gulf of California. In the video, a female orca holds a dead sunfish in her mouth. Then, a large male orca swims toward it very fast and rams it. The fish explodes into a cloud of tiny pieces. A young orca then quickly eats the small bits. Another video from September 2025 showed a similar attack.
Researchers think there are two main reasons for this unusual behavior. First, it helps young orcas feed. Young whales have smaller jaws and cannot break the hard skin easily. The high-speed hits make bite-sized pieces for them.
Second, scientists believe the orcas might also be playing. Orcas are very intelligent animals and often play games, such as carrying dead salmon or playing with ocean plants. Scientists say these fun actions help orcas learn and build strong social connections in their group.