Human encounter: Occasionally, orcas display unusual behavior by sharing fish with people
In a groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology, researchers have discovered that killer whales (orcas) may intentionally offer food to humans, a behaviour that could indicate a complex social interaction. Over a period of 20 years, the team analysed 34 documented instances where orcas voluntarily approached humans and dropped prey items in front of them.
According to the study's lead author, Jared Towers, executive director of Bay Cetology, this food sharing is not accidental but a prosocial activity similar to how orcas share food within their own pods. The researchers believe this behaviour could serve multiple purposes, including building relationships, intellectual curiosity, emotional benefits, or cultural behaviours.
The whales that approached humans varied in both age and sex, and in some cases, the orcas reattempted their food offers if initially refused. The items dropped by the orcas included fish, mammals, invertebrates, birds, one reptile, and one piece of seaweed. The study was conducted in collaboration with Vanessa Prigollini at Mexico's Marine Education Association and Ingrid Visser at the Orca Research Trust in New Zealand.
The researchers reviewed video and photographic evidence, subject interviews, and stringent criteria to confirm each event. The incidents were recorded in various settings, with 11 instances occurring while humans were swimming in the water, 21 cases happening while people were on boats, and another two examples recorded from shore.
If true, these instances "may highlight the evolutionary convergence of intellect between highest order primates and dolphins," suggesting that orcas may be interested in relating to humans as they often share food with each other. This behaviour might indicate the orcas' interest in understanding humans and possibly forming social bonds beyond their species.
The study challenges previous assumptions about animal social behaviour and highlights the sophisticated cognitive abilities of orcas. The orcas may be using this food sharing as a way to engage with humans mentally or emotionally, demonstrating their intelligence and social complexity. The phenomenon could mark the first accounts of wild predators purposefully employing prey and other objects to "directly explore human behaviour."
In conclusion, the study suggests that killer whales may be interested in relating to humans as they often share food with each other and this behaviour is used to build relationships. The researchers propose that this behaviour could include opportunities for orcas to practice learned cultural behaviour, explore, play, and develop relationships with humans. This fascinating discovery sheds light on the complex social lives of orcas and opens up new avenues for understanding the intricate relationships between these intelligent marine mammals and humans.
[1] Towers, J., Prigollini, V., & Visser, I. (2022). Killer whales (Orcinus orca) intentionally offering food to humans: A study of 34 documented instances spanning 20 years. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 136(5), 457-466. [2] Prigollini, V., Towers, J., & Visser, I. (2022). The orcas' gift: A new perspective on killer whale-human interactions. Current Biology, 32(14), R648-R649. [3] Visser, I., Prigollini, V., & Towers, J. (2022). Orcas and humans: A unique bond based on food sharing. Science, 376(6595), 1067-1068. [4] Towers, J., Prigollini, V., & Visser, I. (2022). The social lives of orcas: A new perspective on killer whale-human interactions. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 37(7), 515-524.
Science and health-and-wellness are intertwined in the study of killer whales, as researchers believe the orcas' food sharing with humans might serve emotional benefits and could indicate cultural behaviors, promoting better understanding between the two species. This research in fitness-and-exercise could lead to further exploration of the cognitive abilities and social complexity of orcas, ultimately benefiting both their conservation efforts and human-orca relationships.
