‘Like someone whacking a piñata’: orcas explode sunfish by ramming them at high speed
Researchers have documented a new behavior in orcas called 'ram-to-fragment,' where whales ram sunfish at high speeds to break them into smaller pieces. This behavior, observed in the Gulf of California, is believed to assist in feeding younger pod members or serve as a form of play.
Why it matters
This discovery provides new insights into the complex social structures, intelligence, and adaptive hunting strategies of killer whales.
zachbaranowski/iNaturalist ‘Like someone whacking a piñata’: orcas explode sunfish by ramming them at high speed Published: July 23, 2026 12:00am EDT https://theconversation.com/like-someone-whacking-a-pinata-orcas-explode-sunfish-by-ramming-them-at-high-speed-287776 https://theconversation.com/like-someone-whacking-a-pinata-orcas-explode-sunfish-by-ramming-them-at-high-speed-287776 Link copied Share article Share article
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An adult orca cruises near the surface of the clear, blue water, holding a large sunfish carcass in its mouth.
Seconds later, it releases its prey, right in the path of another adult orca that’s torpedoing up from the depths. The sunfish explodes into thousands of pieces on impact. A younger member of the pod that’s watching on then moves in to feed.
Tourists in the Gulf of California captured this event on camera in July 2024. They captured a similar event nearby in September 2025.
This never-before observed behaviour, reported in a new paper published in the journal Frontiers in Ethology, is known as “ram-to-fragment” behaviour.
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