Orcas' Sunfish-Ramming May Be a Learned Pod Tradition

Scientists documented orcas ramming dead sunfish to fragmentation in the Gulf of California in July 2024 and again in September 2025, per Frontiers in Ethology. Two independent sightings a year apart suggest this cooperative behavior may be socially transmitted within pods — a learned tradition echoing known orca cultural practices rather than a one-off.