On two separate occasions, scientists have observed orcas ramming heavy, bony sunfish with such force that the fish burst apart. The behaviour is striking, but its purpose remains unresolved: scientists do not currently know what motivates the collisions.
One hypothesis is that the impacts divide the fish into portions that can feed the pod, or group of orcas. Alternatively, the behaviour may stem from boredom rather than food preparation. Both remain tentative explanations; neither has been established as the reason behind the observed events.
Scientists intend to observe further instances in order to investigate the behaviour more closely. For now, the forceful destruction of the sunfish is an observed occurrence, while its explanation remains an open question.
