New footage shows historic moment single killer whale hunts and kills great white shark

It's a question which has plagued a lot of people's minds since watching Free Willy and Jaws - who would reign victorious in a fight between a killer whale and a great white shark?

Although both creatures have quite a fearsome reputation underwater, orcas easily outrank most animals in the ocean and can effortlessly tackle pretty much anything which has the misfortune of crossing their path.

Just take a look at this unbelievable footage if you don't believe me:

The incredible video, shot by National Geographic as part of the series Queens, captured the moment the single killer whale pounced on the lone great white off the coast of South Africa.

And to make things even more impressive, it turns out that the orca is a tough old bird - as she has been identified as a 60-year-old grandmother whale known as Sophie.

The clip shows her slowly stalking through the water while looking for some lunch, when a great white shark suddenly appears near the surface.

Using the element of surprise to her advantage, the humongous whale creeps up on its unsuspecting prey and smashes into it before it even has time to realise what's going on.

National Geographic

Sophia charged at the great white and trapped it in her huge jaws before appearing to drag it to the depths to dine on.

The shocking footage has been big news in the animal world, as it shows that although killer whales are notorious for hunting in packs, it's no sweat for them to strike without the backup of their fellow orcas.

Chris Lowe, a professor of marine biology, explained that the shark barely stood a chance in the brawl.

He told ABC News: "Orca are very smart animals, they're very powerful, and in some cases probably even more powerful than a white shark."

Normally, they travel in pods to combine their intelligence and skills when catching large prey such as sea lions, seals, sharks and sometimes even other whales too.

In comparison, great white sharks tend to be loners in the underwater world and usually travel vast distances alone.

National Geographic

Lowe added: "I think what we're seeing is probably an anomaly. We often thing of white sharks as being the top predator in the ocean, when actually orca are."

And Sophie isn't the only one with a hunger for shark as another 'astonishing' video showed the moment that a killer whale took out a great white shark in just two minutes.

The incident, which also occurred in South Africa, was filmed off the coast of Mossel Bay and shows an orca nicknamed 'Starboard' consuming the 8.2ft-long shark, while carrying the great white's liver in its mouth.

Esther Jacobs, from the marine conservation initiative Keep Fin Alive, witnessed the attack take place and said she could smell the 'scent of shark liver oil' filling the air.

She said: "Witnessing a white shark's fin break the surface initially sparked excitement, but that turned to a sombre realisation as Starboard swiftly approached.

"The moment Starboard rapidly preyed on my favourite shark species was both devastating and intensely powerful."