17 sharks killed in bizarre rampage by liver-loving orcas: report

Two killer whales were busted living up to their names recently — slaughtering 17 broadnose sevengill sharks and chowing down on their livers — marine experts said.

Killer whales, or orcas, have for years been known to hunt and eat sevengill sharks — or at least this pair of males does.

In 2015, researchers found that two orcas in particular were chomping on the species. Last October, a drone caught them in the act.

Just this weekend, the two orcas named Port and Starboard — referring to the left and right slants of their respective dorsal fins — attacked and killed more than a dozen broadnose sevengill sharks during the course of one day off the coast of South Africa, marine experts said.

After eviscerating their prey and gobbling the liver, the orcas left the rest of the shark carcasses to wash up on the beach, Earthsky.org reported, noting that despite their names, killer whales pose no danger to humans.

“At least 17 sevengill sharks have been killed by infamous killer whale pair Port & Starboard this week in South Africa,” marine biologist Alison Kock wrote on Twitter. “Only the livers were eaten, with the leftover carcasses washing ashore.”

She and her research team first observed the whales hunting sevengills in 2015, progressing to great whites two years later, Kock wrote. She noted that two of the great whites the duo ate were pregnant. Other great whites were so freaked out that they fled, choosing a new gathering place, she said.

The liver is a choice morsel because it’s a huge organ, taking up a third of the shark’s body weight, EarthSky explained. It is laden with fat and nutrients.

The orcas most likely learned by trial and error how to home in on the liver, Kock said.

“They likely initially learn by experience when first predating a new species,” she wrote. “Once they know where the liver is, or any other body part they are specifically interested in, they will remember it forever & become more efficient.”

With News Wire Services