Nature & Environment

Discovery on beach reveals that orcas may be eating each other

By T.K. Randall
March 5, 2026 ·  39 comments

Image: Killer Whales Jumping
Credit: Robert Pittman / (PD) NOAA When Sergey Fomin, a researcher at the Pacific Institute of Geography in Russia, discovered an orca fin along a beach on Bering Island in 2022, it turned out to be something quite significant.

The fin showed evidence of teeth marks, indicating that something had been chewing on it.

While this in itself wasn't unusual as orcas are known to attack Baird's beaked whales and minke whales, this particular fin actually seemed to be that of an orca that had been feasted upon by another orca.

When an additional fin was discovered a couple of years later, it became apparent that something was happening that scientists had not been previously aware of.For whatever reason, some of the orcas in the region seemed to be practicing cannibalism.

An analysis revealed that the fins belonged to southern resident orcas - which reside near Washington and British Columbia - and that they had been attacked and eaten by Bigg's orcas.

This, the researchers believe, may be why the southern resident orcas form large, close-knit groups.

"At least now we know that cannibalism happens, but I think it is not super common," University of Southern Denmark whale researcher Olga Filatova told Live Science.

Source: Live Science | Comments (39)

Tags: Orca