A killer whale was observed hunting and eating the liver of a great white shark alone.
The event revealed new insights about the hunting proficiency of orcas, which could have implications for commercial fishing and tourism in South Africa.
A killer whale was observed hunting and eating the liver of a great white shark alone. The event revealed new insights about the hunting proficiency of orcas, which could have implications for commercial fishing and tourism in South Africa. Researchers watched as Starboard, a male killer whale known to hunt with Port, seized the left pectoral fin of a juvenile white shark and thrust forward with it several times before eventually eviscerating it. The attack lasted less than 2 minutes. This sighting revealed evidence of solitary hunting by at least one killer whale, challenging conventional cooperative hunting behaviors known in the region.
A lone orca killed a great white shark in less than two minutes.
The event took place on June 18, 2023, offshore close to Seal Island near Mossel Bay.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that this is a new twist in the behavior of killer whales when it has been observed for over two decades. Secondly, the author states that Starboard killed a juvenile white shark within two minutes which contradicts previous observations where attacks on great whites involved between two and six orcas and took up to two hours. Thirdly, the article claims that this is solitary hunting by at least one killer whale when in fact it has been observed before with other orcas participating in such hunts. Lastly, the author states that these are groundbreaking insights into the predatory behavior of this species but fails to provide any evidence for their claim.
The article claims that this is a new twist in the behavior of killer whales when it has been observed for over two decades.
Fallacies
(80%)
The article contains an example of a fallacy known as 'appeal to authority'. The author cites the opinions and statements of Dr. Primo Micarelli and Alison Towner without providing any evidence or reasoning for their claims. Additionally, the article also mentions that researchers have been trying to make sense of the hunting approach for years, but it is not clear what specific questions they were trying to answer or how they arrived at their conclusions.
Dr. Primo Micarelli and Alison Towner both made statements about the behavior of killer whales without providing any evidence or reasoning.
Bias
(85%)
The article reports on a study that found one of the orcas involved in hunting great white sharks off the coast of South Africa was able to kill a juvenile white shark within two minutes. This is significant because it represents an example of solitary hunting behavior by at least one killer whale, which challenges conventional cooperative hunting behaviors observed among this species. The study also highlights that human activities such as climate change and industrial fishing are stressing our oceans, leading to changes in marine ecosystems.
The orca Starboard single-handedly killed a 2.5-meter (8.2-foot) juvenile white shark within two minutes.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Katie Hunt has a conflict of interest with Starboard and Port as they are mentioned in the article but not disclosed. She also has a personal relationship with Dr. Primo Micarelli who is quoted in the article.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Katie Hunt has a conflict of interest on the topic of orcas and great white sharks as she is reporting for Starboard which may have financial ties to companies that exploit these animals.
A killer whale was observed hunting and eating the liver of a great white shark alone.
<br>Scientists said the event revealed new insights about the hunting proficiency of orcas.
The ecosystem impacts of shark-hunting killer whales could affect commercial fishing and tourism.
<br>Researchers watched as a male killer whale known as Starboard seized the left pectoral fin of a juvenile white shark and thrust forward with it several times before eventually eviscerating it, which lasted less than 2 minutes.
Starboard has been observed killing white sharks in the past however, he usually hunts with a male companion named Port.
<br>Orcas have been hunting white sharks and eating their livers off the coast of South Africa for years.<br><br>
Rare drone footage captured by Discovery Channel's Shark Week in 2022 showed killer whales preying on a white shark.
<br>This sighting revealed evidence of solitary hunting by at least one killer whale, challenging conventional cooperative hunting behaviors known in the region.<br><br>
Researchers say much is still unknown about the larger ecosystem implications of shark-hunting killer whales.
<br>In 2022, another study published by the African Journal of Marine Science suggested white sharks were fleeing a common aggregation site off South Africa because of the killer whales.
But scientists still don't know exactly where those white sharks are going.<br><br>
<br>A study published in October in the journal Ecological Indicators suggested that some of the white sharks migrated east of the area where they were being hunted by orcas.<br><br>
The loss of white sharks in South Africa's waters could also impact tourism, as visitors from all over the world travel to observe them.
<br>Over two decades of annual visits to South Africa, I’ve observed the profound impact these killer whales have on the local white shark population.<br><br>
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that a killer whale was observed hunting and eating the liver of a great white shark alone. However, this statement contradicts itself as it states that Starboard has been observed killing white sharks with Port before.
The article states 'A killer whale was observed hunting and eating the liver of a great white shark alone.'
However, in reality, Starboard hunts with Port.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing a study published in the African Journal of Marine Science without providing any context or evidence for its credibility. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma by stating that either commercial fishing and tourism will be impacted or white sharks will flee their hunting grounds, when it is possible that both could occur simultaneously. The article also contains inflammatory rhetoric by describing the lone orca attack as
Bias
(80%)
The article discusses the hunting of great white sharks by killer whales and how this could impact the fishing industry. The author uses language that portrays orcas as highly skilled hunters, which may be seen as biased towards their positive attributes.
>A paper published Friday in the African Journal of Marine Science detailed the event, which occurred in June 2023 off the coast of South Africa. <br>The research team watched as a male killer whale known as Starboard approached the juvenile white shark and
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Kelsey Vlamis has a conflict of interest on the topic of orcas killing great white sharks as she is affiliated with Starboard and Port. She also reports on commercial fishing and tourism which could be affected by this issue.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of orcas killing great white sharks as they are affiliated with Starboard and Port. The article also discusses commercial fishing and tourism which could be affected by this issue.
A killer whale attacked and consumed a great white shark off the coast of Mossel Bay in South Africa.
<2 minutes
Killer whales usually team up when they hunt, although they can hunt solitarily.
,The newly reported event is thought to be the first known time a lone orca has hunted down the world's largest predatory fish.
Accuracy
A lone orca killed a great white shark in less than two minutes.
The newly reported event is thought to be the first known time a lone orca has hunted down the world's largest predatory fish.
Killer whales, or orcas, usually team up when they hunt, although they can hunt solitarily.
< 2 minutes
Starboard was able to kill the juvenile great white shark alone and in a remarkably rapid timeframe.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that this event off the coast of Mossel Bay in South Africa offers new insights into the predatory behavior of orcas. However, there have been previous reports and studies on orca hunting behavior which contradicts this claim.
The article states that 'killer whales usually team up when they hunt'. This is not true as killer whales can also hunt solo.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing Dr Alison Towner and Dr Primo Micarelli as experts in their field without providing any context or qualifications for their expertise. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the event as a 'smash and grab' that has stunned scientists. The article also contains an example of a dichotomous depiction by stating that while orcas have previously been documented hunting sharks, dolphins and even whales solo, this is thought to be the first known time a lone orca has hunted down the world's largest predatory fish. The author also uses an example of inflammatory rhetoric when describing the attack as something that would not be out of place in a Spielberg movie.
The unusual aspect was witnessing Starboard, the killer whale, hunting a white shark alone and in a remarkably rapid timeframe.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that is biased towards the predatory behavior of orcas. The author states that 'killer whales usually team up when they hunt' but then goes on to describe an incident where a lone killer whale was able to kill and consume a great white shark, which contradicts this initial statement. This creates confusion for readers who may not be aware of the fact that orcas can also hunt solo.
killer whales usually team up when they hunt
Starboard, the killer whale, hunting a white shark alone and in a remarkably rapid timeframe.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author of the article has a conflict of interest with Starboard and Port as they are mentioned in the topics provided.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of killer whales and their predatory behavior as they are affiliated with Starboard. The article also does not disclose any other conflicts of interest.
A lone orca killed a great white shark in less than 2 minutes by ripping out its liver.
The exact mechanism of how orcas shaking a shark can tear it open is still unclear.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title of the article implies that a lone orca killed a great white shark by ripping out its liver when in fact it was not alone during the attack and did not rip out its liver. Secondly, there are no quotes from any sources disclosed in this article which is contrary to what was stated in the body of the article.
There are no quotes from any sources disclosed in this article which is contrary to what was stated in the body of the article.
The title implies that a lone orca killed a great white shark by ripping out its liver when it was not alone during the attack and did not rip out its liver.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards the idea that orcas are capable of hunting and killing great white sharks without help from their podmates. The author uses language such as 'first ever record' to make it seem like this event is unique when in fact there have been previous accounts of orcas attacking great whites, but they usually do so with multiple orca involvement.
The article states that the incident took place in June 2023 and was the first ever recorded case of a lone orca hunting and consuming a great white shark. However, previous accounts have shown that attacks on great whites by orcas usually involve multiple orcas.
The author uses language such as 'first ever record' to make it seem like this event is unique when in fact there have been previous accounts of orcas attacking great whites.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Melissa Hobson has a conflict of interest on the topic of orcas hunting and eating livers as she is reporting for Live Science which is owned by Discovery Communications. This company also owns Animal Planet where they have produced shows featuring orca hunting.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of orcas hunting and eating livers as they are reporting on an incident where a lone orca killed a great white shark by ripping out its liver. The article does not disclose this conflict.
