[Aziz]

I recently watched a clip where an Orca induced tonic immobility into a Great White Shark, rendering it defenceless and it forged the idea that Orcas are the supreme marine predators...however I believe this was a rare incident and not solid evidence for the unknown nature of the relationship between the two aquatic heavyweights...let's say a fully-grown adult Great White Shark and a fully-matured Orca interacted and there was no tonic immobilities being used or the Orca was separated from its Pod (pod of Orca would win obviously) who'd win?

I know it's difficult to exactly find a shark that resembles the average size and weight of a Great White because they vary from 1000-5000lbs but what do you guys reckon?

I think the Shark would fend off the Orca or be too dangerous even though the latter is extremely intelligent?

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[FarmForest Research]

It is quite common for dolphins ( a smaller member of the same family) to immobilise and kill sharks (tiger and white tip). In areas of Mexico people wait for dolphins to appear as they know that sharks are either not present or are not a danger due to the activities of dophins. Orcas would have no problem with a great white on a face to face confrontation.

[Moontanman]

Orcas have been seen and even filmed killing and eating great white sharks, in one film i saw the Orca played with the shark while it's own calf watched evidently teaching it how to handle sharks. Also there is the idea that an Orca would be aware of the shark due to it's sonar, a very precise sense while the shark relies on smell a somewhat less precise sense. If the Orca is aware of the shark the shark is harmless at best, doomed at worst if the Orca deems it so.... A shark might get an ambush in on a Orca but I bet it's a rare event.

A whale washed up locally the other day, mortally wounded by a huge shark bite, a few days earlier an 18 foot great white was seen just offshore, connection?

[Aziz]

Whilst I agree a fully-matured Orca would perhaps be too much, I still think it really depends on who is the more aggressive and who catches who first, but yeah the likely victor is the Orca because it's bigger and very smart...but as for dolphins, I've seen sharks feast upon dolphins, so i'm really unsure where you got that from..?

I personally think that it's the tonic immobility that makes Sharks easier prey for Orcas, because a biologist said that in a contest the Orca would be desperately undermined if it doesn't flip the shark over because obviously the shark poses huge dangers? But thanks anyway, wow it must be really terrifying for people oblivious to all this that we all fear the Great White so badly yet something is potentially stronger than it?

[Moontanman]

Aziz, on 10 December 2011 - 03:50 PM, said:

Whilst I agree a fully-matured Orca would perhaps be too much, I still think it really depends on who is the more aggressive and who catches who first, but yeah the likely victor is the Orca because it's bigger and very smart...but as for dolphins, I've seen sharks feast upon dolphins, so i'm really unsure where you got that from..?

I personally think that it's the tonic immobility that makes Sharks easier prey for Orcas, because a biologist said that in a contest the Orca would be desperately undermined if it doesn't flip the shark over because obviously the shark poses huge dangers? But thanks anyway, wow it must be really terrifying for people oblivious to all this that we all fear the Great White so badly yet something is potentially stronger than it?

Sharks and dolphins is not an exact comparison, there are many sharks, most in fact eat small fish and if they bite a human it's an accident, few sharks attack large prey but some fish eaters will eat carrion like a dead whale or dolphin if given the chance. There are also many species of Cetaceans called dolphins, in fact orcas are part of the family of wales known as dolphins, they range in size from 4' to 30' of orcas. The smaller toothed whales most people know as dolphins rarely interact with sharks nor do most sharks molest dolphins. I live on the coast and I have seen dolphins and sharks feed together on schools of fish many times but I have never seen a shark harm a dolphin but I have rarely seen dolphins play around with sharks. but to say one drives the other away would not apply in most circumstances.