--- title: "Footage Shows Whales Fighting Off Orcas Using Explosive Diarrhea" description: "A pod of sperm whales used \"defensive defecation\" to successfully deter a vicious swarm of orcas off the coast of Western Australia." date: "2024-03-29" modified: "2024-03-29" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/whales-fight-orcas-explosive-diarrhea" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "marine life" - "orcas" - "sperm whales" - "the digest" --- # Footage Shows Whales Fighting Off Orcas Using Explosive Diarrhea ![A pod of sperm whales used "defensive defecation" to successfully deter a vicious swarm of orcas off the coast of Western Australia.]() *\Image: Whale Watch Western Australia via YouTube\* ## Smelly Situation A pod of sperm whales reacted to being attacked by vicious orcas in relatable fashion: by shitting themselves violently. Observed by scientists on a tourist expedition off the southern coast of Western Australia, the distressed sperm whales — which are [themselves fearsome predators](), mind you — unleashed a "cloud of diarrhea" to deter the assailing orcas. The response wasn't necessarily out of fear. Rather, experts say it's a rare but effective defense mechanism. After letting loose a stinky slurry, the sperm whales used their tails to fan the poop cloud towards their attackers to confuse them. "It's called defensive defecation," Jennah Tucker, a marine biologist who witnessed the incident, [told *ABC*](). "And it seems like it actually did work in this case." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNE4IGiL64A ## Poop Propellers As shown in [footage]() shared by Whale Watch Western Australia, the sperm whales stayed together in a tight circle, keeping their heads in the center and their tails pointed outwards. "This is called a rosette, another defensive mechanism they use when they're under attack," Tucker told *ABC*. The rosette is a powerful way of fending off attackers. As sperm whales boast an impressive average length of around 50 feet, their trashing tails are intimidating deterrents. But while their formation held strong, a "massive dark bubble" suddenly appeared. Then the orcas left. At first, the horrorstruck onlookers thought that the orcas had managed to kill a young sperm whale. Later, when the scientists reviewed the footage, they realized that the seeming blood in the water was really just excrement. An easy mistake to make, apparently. "Because sperm whales' diet consists mostly of squid, they actually have this really reddish coloured poo," Tucker added. ## Too Big to Fail Sperm whales are the largest predators in the world. For a while, Tucker explained, many believed that they were immune to being attacked. Yet what orcas lack in sheer size — and they're still pretty big, with the largest around 30 feet long — they make up for in brutal cunning, along with strength in numbers. They're clever and audacious enough to [take out human vessels](), and with enough of them in a pod, can overwhelm any prey. "There have been a few accounts now of successful predations on sperm whales, but it is extremely rare globally and historically," Tucker said. And if they keep crapping themselves like in this latest display, maybe they won't be preyed on by orcas at all. **More on oceans:** *[Coral Reefs Coaxed Back to Life by Playing Happy Reef Sounds on Underwater Speakers]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()