"The thing is, whales do not have hair, fur or feathers that could offer some protection, and they are forced to surface in order to breathe," co-author Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse told Discovery News.

"This makes sense because given their small body size they were probably able to approach their prey very closely before attacking," co-author Lars Schmitz told Discovery News.

The discovery led to her co-authoring a paper published earlier this month in Biology Letters, and earning her the esteemed title of citizen scientist.