Over a span of 20 years, scientists from Canada, New Zealand, and Mexico documented 34 surprising encounters in which wild orcas appeared to offer food to humans. These remarkable interactions happened across the globe—from the waters of California and New Zealand to Norway and Patagonia.
“Orcas often share food with each other – it’s a prosocial activity and a way that they build relationships with each other,” said study lead author Jared Towers, of Bay Cetology in British Columbia, Canada. “That they also share with humans may show their interest in relating to us as well.”
Maybe I believe this. Or, they're trying to lure us closer, closer, so the pod can feast - on US!
To be included in the analysis, the incidents had to meet strict criteria: in each case, the whales had to have approached the people on their own (the people could not have approached the whales closely) and dropped the item in front of them. In all but one of the cases, the orcas waited to see what would happen after they made the offering, and in seven cases, they tried more than once to offer the food, after the people initially refused it.
Never refuse a "gift" from an orca. They can be resentful and/or vindictive, it is said.
Free food?
ReplyDeleteThey want us to VOTE for them.
Fishing in reverse!
ReplyDeleteBubbarust
Thanks for all the fish!
ReplyDelete42
Pretty sure they are extremely intelligent creatures. Without hands they probably developed highly advanced intellects and cognitive capabilities.
ReplyDeleteMaybe if we give these slightly domesticated primates some food
ReplyDeletethey won't blow up our swimming hole.
Maybe they've decided we're gods and are trying to curry favor.
ReplyDeleteOrcas are not whales they are in the dolphin family. Anyone remember Namu the Killer Whale movie with Robert Lansing?
ReplyDeleteThe Orcas off Portugal are disabling sail boats as they go by, not all of them, but it's a new danger in that area.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like the Orcas are chumming the waters: there’s always a catch involved.
ReplyDelete