Orcas off the coast of Mexico have devised a cunning strategy to hunt and kill whale sharks, and marine scientists have documented the behavior for the first time.

A pod of orcas ( Orcinus orca) that patrol the Gulf of California have devised collaborative hunting techniques to take down the biggest fish in the ocean: the magnificent, filter-feeding whale shark ( Rhincodon typus ).

Killer Whales are learning new skills to help them hunt the world’s biggest shark, scientists say. Orcas are now hunting in packs to kill whale sharks, predominantly in the Gulf of California. It is thought that the killer whales have gained ‘special’ knowledge over the last six years which enables them to hunt in a way they have never been able to before.