Living up to their 'killer' reputation: Orcas are filmed ramming into one of the world's heaviest fish so hard it EXPLODES

Orcas have once again proven they deserve their 'killer' reputation, as scientists capture a brutal never-before-seen behaviour.Researchers recorded the moment orcas rammed into a fish so hard that it exploded into thousands of tiny pieces.What makes this gruesome strategy even more impressive is the fact that their target was a sunfish, one of the largest and heaviest fish in the world.Sunfish can grow up to three metres long and weigh up to two tonnes, but that didn't stop a pair of orcas from popping it like a balloon.This unusual behaviour was first spotted in 2024 by marine biologist Dr Kathryn Ayres, a scientist at Beneath The Waves, in the Gulf of California.Here, sunfish coming up from deep water to rest and warm up are one of the species most frequently hunted by orca.Researchers still aren't sure exactly why they do this; it could be a novel strategy for feeding their young.However, experts say that these orcas might just find ramming fish to pieces fun. Researchers recorded the moment orcas rammed into one of the world's largest fish so hard that it exploded into thousands of tiny piecesOrcas are some of the most intelligent marine animals known to science, living in complex social groups and using specialised strategies to hunt different types of prey.Scientists have observed orcas ganging up to drown juvenile blue whales and even making waves to wash seals off ice flows into the jaws of their waiting pod members.However, researchers have never seen anything like this new 'ramming' behaviour.Dr Ayres watched as a female orca grabbed onto the tail fin of a sunfish the group had just killed.The female held steady as a male lined up, accelerated, and smashed into the unfortunate fish, deftly releasing the tail just before impact.Orcas have now been spotted smashing sunfish into pieces twice, once in 2024 and once in 2025, both times in the Gulf of California.In both cases, the fish was already dead when the orca hit it, suggesting that this is a 'processing' technique rather than a finishing blow.After the fish was 'blown to bits', Dr Ayres observed that the juvenile in the group began to feed on the smaller pieces. One orca held the fish steady as another lined up the charge, colliding with enough force to pop the fish like a balloon Orcas: Key Facts Scientific name: Orcinus orcaAnimal group: DolphinLength: Up to about 9.8 metresWeight: Up to around 10 tonnesDiet: Fish, seals, sharks and other marine animalsHabitat: Oceans around the worldLifespan: Females can live for more than 80 years The adults, meanwhile, tucked into what was left of the body, but ignored the floating debris.Dr Ayres says: 'Orcas often tear apart prey and share it with other members of the group, including calves and juveniles.'The researchers suggest that breaking the fish into pieces might also offer some nutritional benefits that make it a healthier snack.Sunfish are covered with a thick, rubbery layer called a capsule, which helps them float and gives their body structure, like a cross between a life-jacket and an exoskeleton.This layer also has a unique microbiome, and smashing it to break up the tissue could disperse these microbes into the water.The researchers suggest that this 'tissue fragmentation' could help orcas absorb more of the sunfish microbiome, which could provide nutritional or other benefits, such as immune regulation.However, there is also a strong possibility that the orca decided this strange behaviour could 'just be for fun'.'Orcas are known for playing with their food,' explains Dr Ayres. The orcas' target was a sunfish, which can grow up to three metres long and weigh up to two tonnes Orcas are famous for playing with their food, and some in British Columbia have been seen 'punting' seals up to 40 feet (22 metres) into the air (pictured) Marine biologists have documented various groups around the world that have developed their own unique 'games' to play with prey.Most famously, orcas off the coast of Victoria, British Columbia, have frequently been seen 'punting' dead seals into the sky.In one clip, recorded by a whale-watching company called Eagle Wing Tours, a male orca was seen knocking a seal up to 40 feet (12 metres) into the air.Some scientists suggest this could be a way of teaching their young or practising hunting techniques.But some scientists believe that these intelligent animals may simply have a rather morbid sense of fun, and batter their dead prey for entertainment. Dr Ayres says she would like to get more high-quality video showing the orca’s dorsal fins and eye patches, which would allow individuals to be identified.She adds: 'Collecting good identification photographs whenever possible is key: we are still seeing new techniques of how orcas hunt and process their prey.'They're one of the most iconic marine predators in the world, yet they continue to surprise us.'WHAT ARE TYPE D KILLER WHALES? These majestic creatures - which were only identified in 1955 - have only been spotted a handful of times in the past 70 years.When they were first discovered after a mass stranding in New Zealand in the 1950s they were thought to be a mutated type of the worldwide orca species.They are so distinct from other orcas some experts believe they should even qualify as their own species.Compared to normal dolphins, these orcas have more bulbous heads and sharper dorstal fins. These majestic creatures - which were only identified in 1955 - have only been spotted a handful of times in the past 70 yearsThe patches over their eyes are smaller than on other species - A, B and C - which are all known to dwell in Antarctic waters.They are especially distinctive due to their small eye patches. They have been seen eating Patagonian toothfish but it is unknown if they exclusively eat fish.Experts believe that if they are a new species they could be the largest undescribed animal left on the planet.