American and Mexican oceanologists have made a surprising discovery: off the southern coast of California lives a unique group of dolphins that regularly hunt the whale shark, the largest fish on our planet.
Oku.AzThe results of six years of observations by scientists were published in the prestigious scientific journal “Frontiers in Marine Science”.
A group led by a male dolphin nicknamed “Moctezuma” has developed a special tactic to hunt whale sharks, scientists said.
“They hit the giant fish’s abdominal fins, causing bleeding. This allows the dolphins to reach the shark’s fatty liver,” said Mexican oceanographer Eric Rivas.
Keep in mind that whale sharks are the largest and longest-lived fish on Earth. Its length reaches 12 meters and its weight exceeds 20 tons. Unlike other sharks, these giants feed on microscopic zooplankton and are completely safe for humans. Unfortunately, their population has been declining rapidly in recent decades and they have therefore been placed on the endangered species list.
Scientists believe that hunting whale sharks is a learned behavior of dolphins, not an innate instinct.
Note that this unique hunting tactic was observed only in a group led by a male dolphin named “Moctezuma.” This discovery makes that behavior particularly interesting for future research.
