Topic
white sharks
Episodes and research papers from From First Principles that help explain white sharks from the ground up.
Research
Papers and studies featured by the show.
Novel evidence of interaction between killer whales (Orcinus orca) and juvenile white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in the Gulf of California, Mexico
Imagine the ocean's ultimate showdown: killer whales versus great white sharks. Scientists just discovered that in Mexico's Gulf of California, killer whales are hunting and eating juvenile great white sharks - basically teenage sharks about 6 feet long. The killer whales use a clever technique: they flip the sharks upside down, which puts them into a trance-like state called "tonic immobility" (think of it like hypnotizing the shark). Then they surgically remove and eat the shark's liver, which is packed with nutrients like a superfood energy bar. What's really cool is that the whole whale family shares the liver, including the babies, suggesting they're teaching their young how to hunt these dangerous predators. It's like discovering that lions have figured out how to hunt and share tigers - it completely changes what we thought we knew about who's really in charge in the ocean.