Overview
- Video published in July 2026 documents two independent Gulf of California events in which one orca held an already‑dead sunfish while another charged and rammed it, fracturing the carcass into thousands of pieces.
- The earliest recorded clip was taken in July 2024 and a second similar event was filmed in September 2025, both off Baja California Sur in Mexico.
- Authors of the peer‑reviewed report label the behaviour “Ram‑to‑Fragment” and say the sunfish were pre‑mortemly gutted, so the ramming appears to be a way to process a carcass rather than to kill it.
- Researchers offer three main explanations: the tactic may make food easier for juveniles to eat, serve as social play, or act as teaching and training for young orcas, but none of these is confirmed.
- The team calls for more videos and clear identification photos to link the behaviour to specific pods, establish how widespread or learned it is, and assess any ecological or social consequences.