Bottlenose dolphins stay together in pods and help protect each other from sharks by chasing and ramming into the attacker to scare it off. Recently, there has been an aerial video of orcas, the largest type of dolphin, chasing off a shark with the intention of killing it.
There’s a common belief that sharks fear dolphins, making it safe to swim near them. While dolphins can sense and avoid danger, their presence doesn’t ensure sharks won’t be around. Sharks and dolphins often share waters since they eat the same food.
What Dolphins Can Kill Sharks?
After orcas were recorded killing great white sharks, scientists have published findings confirming that these marine mammals hunt these predators. Orcas, sitting at the top of the ocean’s food chain, have hunted other types of sharks. However, there’s been little evidence of them targeting great whites specifically.
Sharks left the area quickly after the attack, with only a single great white spotted in the next 45 days. This information comes from data published in Ecology, a scientific journal.
Are Killer Whales Dolphins?
Orcas, or ‘killer whales’, are the largest dolphins. They’re technically dolphins, but their size also earns them the whale title. Both terms are valid, depending on classification.
