‘Highly coordinated’ orcas seen hunting in footage over Norway. See them attack

While studying orcas along the coast of Norway, researchers discovered a sophisticated hunting strategy.

The apex predators were seen working in tightly coordinated pairs, with each animal employing a specialized role in the pursuit of prey, according to a study published on July 21 in the peer-reviewed journal Current Biology.

The findings — observed in drone footage — reveal “previously undocumented mechanisms of cooperative hunting in large marine predators.”

‘Strikers’ and ‘helpers’

Researchers conducted the study in the far north of Norway, in the Arctic Circle, over seven days between 2016 and 2017.

Drone footage captured 21 instances of killer whales hunting schools of herring — a type of small, silvery fish — in shallow water near the shoreline.

More often than not, the orcas were observed breaking off into pairs, with one acting as a “striker” and the other as a “helper.”

The helper would use its body to herd the fish, flashing its white underbelly toward prey to “frighten and concentrate” them. At the same time, the striker would use its tail to slap and stun the fish.

This method — which involved sharing the spoils between the pair — proved more successful than solo hunting, researchers said.

Both partners also maintained a “precise geometry” during the hunt, consistently falling into a v-formation, Paolo Domenici, one of the study authors, told Science News.,

“They have to be very well synchronized and very well positioned to score,” he added.

Division of labor

The division of labor appeared to be determined by size, with larger orcas acting as strikers, while smaller orcas tended to work as helpers.

This is likely due to two reasons. One, larger killer whales are probably able to slap and stun fish more effectively, due to their tails having a greater surface area.

Additionally, “relative skill level is likely to be higher in larger (and older) whales, thus they primarily execute what is likely to be the most complex task (i.e., slapping the prey) while the relatively unskilled, smaller individuals may learn how to perform the technique by participating as helpers,” researchers said.

This newfound technique also appears to be the domain of males — perhaps due to their larger size, compared to females.

Preferred partners

Interestingly, researchers also discovered the killer whales appeared to have preferred partners when hunting in pairs.

By consistently hunting in the same duos, the killer whales likely have “repeated opportunities to practice and learn to bestow enhanced geometric positioning and hunting success,” the study said.

It’s likely that at least several of the pairs were composed of “close kin,” researchers added.

“Throughout the animal kingdom, cooperative strategies are most highly developed in stable kin groups, such as those formed by killer whales, with close kinship expected to increase the readiness to share benefits,” researchers said.

Specialization may be more widespread

Killer whales — considered one of the most intelligent predator species — are not the only marine creatures to use specialization in hunting.

For example, dolphins have been observed employing “long-lasting division of labor and role specialization,” with one animal herding prey, while others act as barriers.

Humpback whales have also been seen engaging in “coordinated foraging behavior.”

“Along with our findings, this previous research suggests that social relationships have a more important role in foraging behavior than previously thought,” researchers concluded.

In addition to Paolo Domenici, the study authors were: Jacob Johansen, Richard Karoliussen, Francesca Leggieri, Patrick Dykstra and Eve Jourdain.

This story was originally published August 5, 2025 at 1:14 PM with the headline "‘Highly coordinated’ orcas seen hunting in footage over Norway. See them attack."