When Whales Rewrite the Rules: Shark Livers, Super-Groups, and Ocean Fertilizers

When Whales Rewrite the Rules: Shark Livers, Super-Groups, and Ocean Fertilizers

Have you ever heard of two orcas killing sharks and eating only their livers? I know—it sounds like some bizarre birthday buffet. But it really happened off the coast of South Africa. These clever, precise hunters targeted the most nutrient-rich part of their prey, leaving the rest behind. Nature’s efficiency—and strangeness—never ceases to amaze.

Then there are the whales ramming boats along the Iberian Peninsula, or the “super-groups” of 200 humpbacks gathering in places where whales usually stick to small pods. These behaviors make you stop and think: past, present, future. Whales are sending messages, whether we understand them or not, and our assumptions about the ocean are constantly being challenged.

I have a personal connection to all of this. My great-great-grandfather came from the Azores on a whaling ship at just 14—a harsh, exploitative world. But he married my great-great-grandmother, who was Songhees. The Coast Salish people hunted whales differently: taking only what was needed, using every part, and feeding the whole community. They treated whales with respect, honor, and gratitude—lessons our modern world could learn from.

And here’s where it gets even more mind-blowing: whales don’t just eat—they fertilize the ocean. When they release their waste, they create massive amounts of nutrient-rich “poop” at the surface, a phenomenon scientists sometimes call a “poonami.” This spreads nutrients like nitrogen and iron across the ocean, feeding phytoplankton, which are the base of the marine food web—and also absorb carbon dioxide, helping to combat climate change. When humans hunted whales to near extinction, we didn’t just reduce their numbers—we disrupted this vital ecological service, harming the ocean and the planet in ways we’re only beginning to understand.

David Attenborough has shown us whales’ intelligence, their social bonds, and their critical role in the ocean. These stories—from orcas snacking on shark livers, to whales ramming boats, to massive super-groups and poonamis—remind us of their power, their mystery, and their deep connection to life on Earth.

Whales have been here far longer than us. They shape the seas in ways we are only starting to grasp. Maybe it’s time we start listening, learning, and respecting the creatures that hold the oceans—and our planet—together.