The consumption of sharks is not a common trait among most dolphin species.
Most dolphin species stick to a diet containing a variety of fish and other small aquatic life forms, such as squid, octopus, and crustaceans.
The only dolphins known to hunt and eat sharks are the killer whale and “possibly” the false killer whale.
Both species belong to the dolphin family.
While it is rare that a killer whale will eat a shark, there are a few cases where these marine mammals have been observed hunting sharks when hungry, and their food supply is limited.
The killer whale is the largest of all dolphins when it comes to the dolphin species.
These marine mammals can grow up to 30 feet and weigh as much as 12,000 pounds!
The killer whale has been known to attack and consume various prey, from fish, squid, and sharks to other marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, aquatic birds, and even whales.
The false killer whale is the third-largest species among the dolphin family and has also been observed eating numerous prey that killer whales hunt.
However, despite their similar name, these two marine mammals are not closely related.
In cases where killer whales attack a shark, they often hunt in groups using team-oriented hunting strategies to capture their prey while also minimizing the chances of being injured themselves.
During these hunting expeditions, killer whales may be seen circling a shark or forcing it into a corner.
Another killer whale will swim up from underneath the shark to flip it, paralyzing it and putting it into a catatonic state, so it is defenseless.
Once it is defenseless, the killer whales go in for the kill.
Regarding other dolphin species, most dolphins are too small to hunt other cetaceans or larger prey and are not designed (both physically and mentally) to hunt them either.
Although most dolphin species have functional teeth, only a few use their teeth to tear apart their prey so they can consume it more easily.
Other species only use their teeth to grab onto their prey and will swallow their food whole, while others appear to have little or no use for their teeth at all.
List of Foods Dolphins Eat:
- Fish (various types)
- Cod
- Herring
- Mackerel
- Squid
- Plankton
- Krill
- Cephalopods
- Crustaceans
- Marine birds (eaten by killer whales and false killer whales)
- Seals (eaten by killer whales and false killer whales)
- Sea lions (eaten by killer whales and false killer whales)
- Sharks (eaten by killer whales and false killer whales)
- Whales (eaten by killer whales and false killer whales)
As a species, dolphins belong to the cetacean family, composed of whales and porpoises.
There are around 80 – 90 known species of cetacea recorded so far.
All cetaceans are warm-blooded marine mammals that produce milk, give birth, and breathe air.
All species are also carnivorous animals.
However, out of all cetacean species (including whales and porpoises), the killer and false killer whales appear to be the only species that hunt other cetaceans and large animals such as seals, sea lions, penguins, and whales for food.