An orca pod in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico has devised a cunning strategy to hunt and kill whale sharks — the world’s largest fish that can grow up to 18 meters (60 feet) in length — new research has revealed.

For the first time, scientists have captured video evidence of orcas cooperatively hunting whale sharks, the largest species of fish on Earth. This graphic footage proves that whale sharks are a regular part of some orcas’ diets, and solves the mystery of how they are able to kill the massive fish.

Mother Nature can be pretty gruesome, and for a society that doesn’t necessarily equate eating meat with animal death, it can be hard to see the stark reality. Whale sharks are the world’s biggest fish,

Whale sharks are gentle, filter-feeding giants, but orcas in Mexican waters were documented attacking the animals and devouring their livers.

A pod of orcas ( Orcinus orca) that patrol the Gulf of California have devised collaborative hunting techniques to take down the biggest fish in the ocean: the magnificent, filter-feeding whale shark ( Rhincodon typus ).

Killer Whales are learning new skills to help them hunt the world’s biggest shark, scientists say. Orcas are now hunting in packs to kill whale sharks, predominantly in the Gulf of California. It is thought that the killer whales have gained ‘special’ knowledge over the last six years which enables them to hunt in a way they have never been able to before.