STUNNING footage has captured the moment a 60-year-old grandmother orca hunts and kills a great white shark.
The beast, named Sophia, was captured in an incredibly rare video unleashing a fatal attack on its unsuspecting victim off the coast of South Africa.
National GeographicSophia was captured speeding towards the shark ahead of her attack[/caption]
National GeographicShe then smashed into her victim with a devastating blow[/caption]
National GeographicThe orca the continued to hunt down the great white shark before eventually killing it[/caption]
Filmed as part of National Geographic’s limited series, “Queens,” Sophia is shown charging and taking a chomp out the shark.
The killer whale, as they are also known, had unleashed a devastating blow by smashing into the side of its victim and breaking its ribs.
The collision between the two predatory heavyweights caused a huge splash in the water, before the dazed shark attempts to make an escape.
But Sophia quickly circles back and continues to taunt the animal by unleashing several more blows to its body.
The shark then appears to tire before succumbing to its injuries.
Scientists believe this is the first time a single orca was filmed killing a great white shark.
However, Dr. Chris Lowe, a professor of marine biology, believes the attack is likely to be an anomaly.
“Orca are very smart animals,” he told ABC News. “They’re very powerful and, in some cases, probably even more powerful than a white shark.
“I think what we’re seeing is probably an anomaly. I don’t think it happens that often.
“We often think of white sharks as being the top predator in the ocean when actually orca are.”
Orca’s can grow to nearly 30 feet long and weigh up to six tons.
They are ordinarily pack animals and prefer to hunt in small groups known as pods.
But despite Dr. Lowe’s claims that Sophia’s attack was a one-off, it’s believed climate change is having an effect on the animals, leading them to adapt their hunting styles.
Just last week, more shocking footage appeared to show a lone orca whale mauling a great white shark to death in an “unprecedented” attack.
The killer whale was captured obliterating the predator off the coast of Mossel Bay in South Africa last year.
It comes after numerous reports in the past few years claim Orca’s appear to be getting more aggressive, following a number of attacks on ships.
In November, a pod of killer whales attacked a boat in the Gibraltar Strait, sinking the yacht in the fourth incident of its kind in just two years.
The orcas relentlessly pummelled the boat’s rudder, damaging the vessel beyond repair.
Orcas – the killer whales
ORCAS are the largest members of the oceanic dolphin family and are the world’s most power predators
Although they never attack humans, the deadly killers can take down on large groups of whales, hence the name killer.
What makes them a unique marine mammal is that they often hunt in deadly pods and family groups of up to 40 individuals – and feast on fish, penguins seal lions – and even seals.
The carnivores can grow up to 32feet long and weigh up to six tons – and are immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-and-white coloring.
With an average lifespan of about 82 years, orcas can be found from the polar regions to the Equator near cold and coastal areas.
National GeographicSophia’s deadly blow broke the shark’s ribs, which eventually succumbed to its injuries[/caption]