Orcas sometimes hunt sharks just to eat their livers.
They aren’t called killer whales for nothing: When they aren’t starring in classic ’90s movies (i.e., Free Willy) or literally sleeping with one eye open, orcas are striking fear into the hearts of many of their fellow sea creatures — including sharks, whom they sometimes hunt just for their livers. As apex predators who sit comfortably atop the food chain, they can pretty much do whatever they want. And what they apparently want, as observed by researchers across the globe, is to feast on a particularly tasty, nutrient-dense organ.
The orcas most often do so as a team, with as many as five teaming up against a single white shark. They’re even savvy enough to immobilize their prey by first flipping it onto its back before removing the liver, which they then share among themselves. Orcas — which are technically the largest member of the dolphin family — live in matriarchal societies and have a lifespan of up to 90 years, which one imagines is aided by their preference for liver.