One of the world’s greatest predators seemingly invites humans for lunch by attempting to share prey with people, according to a new study. Over two decades, more than 30 cases were recorded of wild killer whales offering people prey such as fishes, birds, stingrays and mammals.
The highly intelligent animals, also known as orcas, have been documented in four oceans approaching humans, dropping the prey and awaiting a response. Jared Towers, lead author of the study, said there appears to be a “prosocial element” to the cases and suggests there seems to be a reciprocal factor. He added the “extremely unusual” interactions also indicate a developing closer relationship between orcas and people.
Killer whales are considered the oceans’ top predator and are well-known for their sophisticated hunting in pods of up to 40.
Dr. Ingrid Visser, who also authored the study, said: “Orca are very social and we frequently see them food-sharing. To document and describe behaviour of them attempting to food-share with humans in various places around the globe is fascinating.”
Third author Vanessa Prigollini added: “Orcas are apex predators that often eat other large mammals, but when it comes to people, they occasionally prefer to share, indicating their interest in building relationships outside their own species.”
Orcas, famous for their striking black and white markings, measure between 23 to 32 feet in length and can weigh up to six tonnes.While they are often known as killer whales, they are in fact dolphins and the largest member of the dolphin family.
The killer whale name is believed to have originated from “whale killer” as they have been known to work together to kill whales.
Penguins and other seabirds, fish, squid, seals, sealions and are also hunted by orcas.
The deadly predators, which use biosonar to communicate and hunt, are known to grab seals off sheets of ice.
Ecologist and author Dr. Carl Safina, who was not involved in this study, said orcas possess the “greatest” mind in the ocean.
“Casual stories of their almost surreal intelligence abound,” the expert said. “But here these scientists have systematically gathered an impressive litany of instances where free-living orcas have shown that they possess ‘theory of mind,’ meaning that their minds understand that humans have minds too.
“After living millions of years in the sea, to them we in our boats must seem like visiting aliens. And indeed, we are strangers in a strange place we hardly know, about which we yet have almost everything to learn.”
Orcas, which have an average lifespan of between 50 to 80 years, are found in all oceans across the world but tend to be more common in cooler waters.
They can be seen in British waters but it is rare.
The Wildlife Trust says: “The UK’s resident orca community consists of just eight individuals, four males and four females.
“Known as the ‘west coast community’ this resident group of orcas arrive in Northern Scotland in early summer to feast on fish. Unfortunately, no calf has been born to this group in over 20 years.”
Since 2020, there have been a series of incidents of orcas ramming boats in waters around Iberian Peninsula
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which evaluates the conservation status of animals, says there is not enough data on orcas to make an assessment.