Sophia the orca whale attacking a great white shark in the National Geographic show ‘Queens’.Photo:National Geographic for Disney
National Geographic for Disney
In a battle of strength between a grandma and a great white shark, the winner may surprise you.
National Geographic’s new docuseriesQueenscaptured such a feud, documenting an encounter between 60-year-old orca whale grandmother Sophia and a great white shark.
PEOPLE has a sneak peek of the dramatic clip, which will be featured in the show’s upcoming “Costal Queens” episode.
The footage shows Sophia, the leader of a killer whale pod, spotting a swimming great white shark and body-slamming into the predator. In the clip, the orca surges directly into the shark’s side with enough power to break the great white’s ribs.
After this initial attack, the killer whale circles the great white shark to ensure the animal won’t try to bite her or other pod members.
Sophia is one of the many powerful animal matriarchs featured inQueens, a docuseries about female animal leaders around the world.Angela Bassettnarrates the series, which uses the latest technology to bring viewers into the families of these leading animal ladies.
The first three episodes of the seven-part docuseries are available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.Queens’final four episodes, including the “Coastal Queens” episode featuring Sophia the orca whale, will air on National Geographic on March 11 at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST and will be available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu the following day,
Sophia’s great white shark run-in isn’t the first time a killer whale has attacked a great white shark. On March 1, scientists published an article in theAfrican Journal of Marine Scienceabout one of the first widely observed occurrences ofa single orca whale killing and eating a great white shark.
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source: people.com
