Despite what you might think, sharks are not the apex predators of the ocean. That accolade goes to these: orca whales. However, their cousins, sperm whales, have developed an interesting tactic for fending off these black and white predators.
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00:00Despite what you might think, sharks are not the apex predators of the ocean.
00:08That accolade goes to these, orca whales.
00:11That's probably why they earned themselves the moniker killer whales.
00:14Known for hunting in packs and taking down creatures much larger than themselves,
00:18even the mighty blue whale.
00:20However, their cousin sperm whales have developed an interesting tactic
00:23for fending off these black and white predators.
00:25Marine researchers say they have now witnessed sperm whales using their poop
00:29to fend off attacking orcas.
00:31A well-known pod of orcas recently went after a pod of sperm whales while researchers were watching.
00:36The sperm whales then formed a defensive huddle called a rosette,
00:39which looks like this, with their fins in an outward fan and the youngest in the center.
00:44That's when they let loose an epic slurry of red poo.
00:47The researchers say they initially thought it was blood,
00:50and only later realized it was their refuse.
00:52This is a tactic experts have known sperm whales might use,
00:55but they have never witnessed it against orcas.
00:58Using the defensive rosette formation.