Researchers have documented two cases in which orcas cooperatively rammed dead sharp-tail sunfish, breaking the carcasses into clouds of fragments. The newly described behaviour matters because it may represent a previously unrecorded way for orcas to process large prey and make it easier for younger animals to eat.

The incidents occurred in the Gulf of California in 2024 and 2025 and were recorded on video. In each, one orca held a sunfish in place before another struck at speed; juveniles ate smaller pieces while adults fed on the larger remains. Scientists suggest the behaviour could help share food with calves or juveniles, though play remains another possible explanation.