Scientists have observed orcas swimming forcefully into heavy sunfish on two separate occasions. The impacts were so powerful that the fish burst apart. Although scientists have witnessed this behaviour twice, they do not yet understand why the orcas do it.
One possible explanation is that the orcas are breaking the fish into portions to feed their group. Another possibility is that they are simply bored. Neither explanation is certain, and the reason for these powerful attacks remains unknown.
Scientists plan to observe more events of this kind to understand the behaviour better. For now, preparing food and acting out of boredom remain possible explanations rather than firm conclusions.
