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First Post
6 days ago
- Science
- First Post
Why are orcas gifting food to humans across the oceans?
Over two decades, orcas have been observed offering prey to humans in 34 recorded encounters across the globe. From stingrays to sea turtles, killer whales appear to gift food, then wait and watch. Scientists now believe this rare and deliberate behaviour reveals complex social intent, curiosity and possibly interspecies connection read more Orcas come up for air in the Norwegian Sea, Norway, January 3, 2024. File Image/Reuters A newly published study has shed light on an unusual and rarely seen behaviour in killer whales (Orcinus orca): voluntarily presenting dead prey to humans. Over a span of 20 years, researchers documented 34 such interactions, offering the first scientific insight into a phenomenon that has perplexed and intrigued marine biologists. These incidents, observed off the coasts of California, New Zealand, Norway, Canada and Patagonia, involved orcas approaching humans either in the water, on boats, or near the shore, and intentionally delivering items such as fish, birds, rays or marine mammals. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The study was published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology and authored by scientists from Canada, New Zealand and Mexico, including Jared Towers, executive director of the Canadian research organisation Bay Cetology, who also witnessed several of these encounters firsthand. How a unique behavioural pattern emerged across oceans The research team compiled records of orcas approaching humans without prompting, either by swimmers, boaters or shore observers. In total, 11 instances involved individuals in the water, 21 were from boats and two occurred onshore. Remarkably, in all but one event, the whales lingered near the humans after dropping the prey, apparently observing what would happen next. The food offerings included 18 different species, among them stingrays, seals, birds, otters, jellyfish, starfish, grey whale blubber and even sea turtles and seaweed. Some encounters were captured on video; others were described in interviews with eyewitnesses and scientists. In seven cases, when the initial offering was declined or ignored, the orcas attempted the gesture again, sometimes multiple times. In three recorded incidents, when humans returned the prey to the whale, the whale again delivered it back. Among the more striking cases was a young male orca in New Zealand named Funky Monkey, who repeatedly approached a researcher with a stingray balanced on his head. In Norway, a whale appeared to offer jellyfish to a diver. Jared Towers himself was approached in 2015, while documenting a pod feeding on seabirds in Alert Bay, Canada. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Two orcas — Akela and her younger brother Quiver — each brought him a dead bird, dropped it nearby, and stayed close before retrieving their prey and swimming away. Another such encounter occurred in 2018, when a young female delivered a harbour seal pup. Behind the orcas' behaviour The orcas involved were all generalist predators, typically hunting a wide variety of surface-dwelling marine animals. Researchers noted that no such behaviour was observed in deep-feeding orca groups that exclusively eat fish, even though those populations are also accustomed to human presence. This distinction may be key to understanding the emergence of this practice. A killer whale member of the Bigg's orca T65B pod is seen in the Salish Sea near Eastsound, Washington, US, July 7, 2023. File Image/Reuters According to the research, generalist orca pods often work together to take down large prey, sometimes leaving them with more food than they can consume. In such scenarios, there's an opportunity to either discard, play with, or repurpose the excess prey. 'Orcas often share food with each other — it's a prosocial activity and a way that they build relationships with each other,' said Towers. 'That they also share with humans may show their interest in relating to us as well.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The study highlights that food-sharing among orcas is common within pods and may function as a social bonding mechanism. Extending this behaviour towards humans could reflect an adaptation or extension of those social instincts. Notably, the research also suggests these food offers might allow the whales to engage in exploratory behaviour, or 'practise learned cultural behaviour' in new, interspecies contexts. What orca history tells us Killer whales are known for their sophisticated social behaviours, language dialects and cultural traditions. In the wild, they have been observed gently interacting with one another through gestures like nibbling each other's tongues or synchronised swimming, suggesting high levels of social cohesion and communication. This is not the first time that orcas have worked in concert with humans. Historical records show that orca pods once cooperated with Indigenous Australian and European whalers, helping them corral baleen whales in exchange for access to their meat and tongues. However, that was a mutualistic relationship with clear benefit for the orcas. The events described in this new study are different — the orcas are giving away food without any visible incentive or gain. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Towers and his colleagues suggest that such interactions may indicate generalised altruism — actions that benefit another being without direct benefit to oneself. The presence of such behaviours could also hint at theory of mind — the ability to attribute mental states, like intentions or desires, to others. 'They're actively learning about us by testing the waters,' Towers explained. 'Curiosity is one of the things that reduces uncertainty.' Are orcas forming bonds with humans? In many of the encounters, the animals seemed interested in observing human reactions and often re-engaged when ignored, suggesting a deeper purpose. However, scientists also caution that manipulation cannot be ruled out, though it's unclear what goal that manipulation would serve. 'This behaviour may represent some of the first accounts of a wild predator intentionally using prey, and other items, to directly explore human behaviour,' the study authors noted. The researchers believe the act of gifting may provide short- or long-term emotional or intellectual benefits to the animals, adding, 'none of which are mutually exclusive.' The study concludes that given orcas' high intelligence, strong social ties, and cooperative nature, it is plausible that these food-sharing behaviours could be tied to cognitive experimentation, curiosity or even an attempt to understand humans better. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Watch: With inputs from agencies
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why?
When researcher Jared Towers set up his cameras underwater to observe a pair of killer whales, he saw something strange. One of the orcas, a juvenile female, 'approached a camera I had in the water to film her younger brother and then opened her mouth and let out a dead seabird,' Towers, the executive director of Bay Cetology, a Canadian team of marine biologists based in Alert Bay, British Columbia, told CNN. She closed her mouth, paused, apparently watching for Towers' reaction and hung in the water while the dead seabird floated up above her. Then, after a few seconds, she rolled around towards the camera and swallowed the bird again. A few years later, Towers saw another young female killer whale displaying the same behavior – this time, however, the orca 'dropped a freshly killed harbor seal pup right beside my boat.' Towers discussed these incidents with his colleagues around the world, discovering that they too had been gifted food by killer whales. When he collated the instances, he found 34 cases of killer whales presenting humans with food between 2004 and 2024. He and his colleagues laid out their findings in a paper published recently in the Journal of Comparative Psychology where they attempt to unravel the reasons why killer whales might be doing this. Perhaps, they hypothesized, the killer whales are curious and exploring how humans will react to a gift. Maybe they are playing, though they largely discount this theory because whales of all ages, rather than just juveniles, provisioned food. Or, perhaps it is something more sinister – killer whales have been known to use prey to attract other species and then kill them, but there is no record of orcas ever killing humans in the wild. 'I don't think it's easy to suggest there is one reason for this behavior because there are underlying mechanisms and proximate causes,' Towers said. 'The main underlying mechanism is simply that they can afford to offer us food and the main proximate cause may be that they are doing so as a way to explore and subsequently learn more about us.' In all but one of the cases documented, the killer whales initially waited for a response from the humans before most of them retrieved the food, though some simply abandoned it and some even tried to gift it again. The humans ignored the food almost all the time; they took it only four times and in three of those cases, they threw it back into the water afterward. Pets bring their owners gifts – think of the dead mice or birds that cats leave outside the door – and animals have been observed giving gifts to each other. But until now, there have been barely any recorded cases of wild predators giving gifts to humans, aside from a few instances of false killer whales – a species of dolphin – and leopard seals offering people food. 'In a way, it's not surprising, because… everybody who's on the water with (killer whales) has experienced how inquisitive and curious they are and have had interactions where you know there's something going on between us and them,' Hanne Strager, a researcher and author who wrote 'The Killer Whale Journals,' who wasn't involved in the study, told CNN. Killer whales are one of the most intelligent animals; only humans have a larger brain relative to their body size, according to the study. And they kill much larger animals relative to their own body size than other whales and dolphins, meaning they can have more food to share around. They are also believed to have spindle neurons in their brains – a type of neuron known to be associated with empathy – said Philippa Brakes, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Exeter specializing in whales and dolphins who wasn't involved in the study. While she added that determining motivation is difficult 'because we can't interview them,' she suggested to CNN that it could be 'altruistic' or just a 'basic biological function' mimicking 'something you might do to a juvenile.' The researchers found that it didn't matter where in the world the whale was or whether it was male or female, a calf, a juvenile or adult – they all displayed this behavior. It fits into a wider pattern of killer whales often initiating interactions with humans and boats, offering further insight into their lives. And Towers hopes it serves as a reminder that 'while our species is obviously more technologically advanced than any other on the planet, we do share it with other highly evolved species whose welfare must be considered in our actions.' Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Science
- CTV News
Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why?
Researchers said there are many reasons why orcas bring humans food. (Ingrid N. Visser/Orca Research Trust via CNN Newsource) When researcher Jared Towers set up his cameras underwater to observe a pair of killer whales, he saw something strange. One of the orcas, a juvenile female, 'approached a camera I had in the water to film her younger brother and then opened her mouth and let out a dead seabird,' Towers, the executive director of Bay Cetology, a Canadian team of marine biologists based in Alert Bay, British Columbia, told CNN. She closed her mouth, paused, apparently watching for Towers' reaction and hung in the water while the dead seabird floated up above her. Then, after a few seconds, she rolled around towards the camera and swallowed the bird again. A few years later, Towers saw another young female killer whale displaying the same behavior – this time, however, the orca 'dropped a freshly killed harbor seal pup right beside my boat.' Towers discussed these incidents with his colleagues around the world, discovering that they too had been gifted food by killer whales. When he collated the instances, he found 34 cases of killer whales presenting humans with food between 2004 and 2024. He and his colleagues laid out their findings in a paper published recently in the Journal of Comparative Psychology where they attempt to unravel the reasons why killer whales might be doing this. Perhaps, they hypothesized, the killer whales are curious and exploring how humans will react to a gift. Maybe they are playing, though they largely discount this theory because whales of all ages, rather than just juveniles, provisioned food. Or, perhaps it is something more sinister – killer whales have been known to use prey to attract other species and then kill them, but there is no record of orcas ever killing humans in the wild. 'I don't think it's easy to suggest there is one reason for this behavior because there are underlying mechanisms and proximate causes,' Towers said. 'The main underlying mechanism is simply that they can afford to offer us food and the main proximate cause may be that they are doing so as a way to explore and subsequently learn more about us.' In all but one of the cases documented, the killer whales initially waited for a response from the humans before most of them retrieved the food, though some simply abandoned it and some even tried to gift it again. The humans ignored the food almost all the time; they took it only four times and in three of those cases, they threw it back into the water afterward. Pets bring their owners gifts – think of the dead mice or birds that cats leave outside the door – and animals have been observed giving gifts to each other. But until now, there have been barely any recorded cases of wild predators giving gifts to humans, aside from a few instances of false killer whales – a species of dolphin – and leopard seals offering people food. 'In a way, it's not surprising, because… everybody who's on the water with (killer whales) has experienced how inquisitive and curious they are and have had interactions where you know there's something going on between us and them,' Hanne Strager, a researcher and author who wrote 'The Killer Whale Journals,' who wasn't involved in the study, told CNN. Killer whales are one of the most intelligent animals; only humans have a larger brain relative to their body size, according to the study. And they kill much larger animals relative to their own body size than other whales and dolphins, meaning they can have more food to share around. They are also believed to have spindle neurons in their brains – a type of neuron known to be associated with empathy – said Philippa Brakes, a behavioural ecologist at the University of Exeter specializing in whales and dolphins who wasn't involved in the study. While she added that determining motivation is difficult 'because we can't interview them,' she suggested to CNN that it could be 'altruistic' or just a 'basic biological function' mimicking 'something you might do to a juvenile.' The researchers found that it didn't matter where in the world the whale was or whether it was male or female, a calf, a juvenile or adult – they all displayed this behaviour. It fits into a wider pattern of killer whales often initiating interactions with humans and boats, offering further insight into their lives. And Towers hopes it serves as a reminder that 'while our species is obviously more technologically advanced than any other on the planet, we do share it with other highly evolved species whose welfare must be considered in our actions.' By Issy Ronald, CNN
CNN
6 days ago
- Science
- CNN
Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why?
When researcher Jared Towers set up his cameras underwater to observe a pair of killer whales, he saw something strange. One of the orcas, a juvenile female, 'approached a camera I had in the water to film her younger brother and then opened her mouth and let out a dead seabird,' Towers, the executive director of Bay Cetology, a Canadian team of marine biologists based in Alert Bay, British Columbia, told CNN. She closed her mouth, paused, apparently watching for Towers' reaction and hung in the water while the dead seabird floated up above her. Then, after a few seconds, she rolled around towards the camera and swallowed the bird again. A few years later, Towers saw another young female killer whale displaying the same behavior – this time, however, the orca 'dropped a freshly killed harbor seal pup right beside my boat.' Towers discussed these incidents with his colleagues around the world, discovering that they too had been gifted food by killer whales. When he collated the instances, he found 34 cases of killer whales presenting humans with food between 2004 and 2024. He and his colleagues laid out their findings in a paper published recently in the Journal of Comparative Psychology where they attempt to unravel the reasons why killer whales might be doing this. Perhaps, they hypothesized, the killer whales are curious and exploring how humans will react to a gift. Maybe they are playing, though they largely discount this theory because whales of all ages, rather than just juveniles, provisioned food. Or, perhaps it is something more sinister – killer whales have been known to use prey to attract other species and then kill them, but there is no record of orcas ever killing humans in the wild. 'I don't think it's easy to suggest there is one reason for this behavior because there are underlying mechanisms and proximate causes,' Towers said. 'The main underlying mechanism is simply that they can afford to offer us food and the main proximate cause may be that they are doing so as a way to explore and subsequently learn more about us.' In all but one of the cases documented, the killer whales initially waited for a response from the humans before most of them retrieved the food, though some simply abandoned it and some even tried to gift it again. The humans ignored the food almost all the time; they took it only four times and in three of those cases, they threw it back into the water afterward. Pets bring their owners gifts – think of the dead mice or birds that cats leave outside the door – and animals have been observed giving gifts to each other. But until now, there have been barely any recorded cases of wild predators giving gifts to humans, aside from a few instances of false killer whales – a species of dolphin – and leopard seals offering people food. 'In a way, it's not surprising, because… everybody who's on the water with (killer whales) has experienced how inquisitive and curious they are and have had interactions where you know there's something going on between us and them,' Hanne Strager, a researcher and author who wrote 'The Killer Whale Journals,' who wasn't involved in the study, told CNN. Killer whales are one of the most intelligent animals; only humans have a larger brain relative to their body size, according to the study. And they kill much larger animals relative to their own body size than other whales and dolphins, meaning they can have more food to share around. Discover your world Go beyond the headlines and explore the latest scientific achievements and fascinating discoveries. Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. They are also believed to have spindle neurons in their brains – a type of neuron known to be associated with empathy – said Philippa Brakes, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Exeter specializing in whales and dolphins who wasn't involved in the study. While she added that determining motivation is difficult 'because we can't interview them,' she suggested to CNN that it could be 'altruistic' or just a 'basic biological function' mimicking 'something you might do to a juvenile.' The researchers found that it didn't matter where in the world the whale was or whether it was male or female, a calf, a juvenile or adult – they all displayed this behavior. It fits into a wider pattern of killer whales often initiating interactions with humans and boats, offering further insight into their lives. And Towers hopes it serves as a reminder that 'while our species is obviously more technologically advanced than any other on the planet, we do share it with other highly evolved species whose welfare must be considered in our actions.' Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action.
CNN
6 days ago
- Science
- CNN
Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why?
When researcher Jared Towers set up his cameras underwater to observe a pair of killer whales, he saw something strange. One of the orcas, a juvenile female, 'approached a camera I had in the water to film her younger brother and then opened her mouth and let out a dead seabird,' Towers, the executive director of Bay Cetology, a Canadian team of marine biologists based in Alert Bay, British Columbia, told CNN. She closed her mouth, paused, apparently watching for Towers' reaction and hung in the water while the dead seabird floated up above her. Then, after a few seconds, she rolled around towards the camera and swallowed the bird again. A few years later, Towers saw another young female killer whale displaying the same behavior – this time, however, the orca 'dropped a freshly killed harbor seal pup right beside my boat.' Towers discussed these incidents with his colleagues around the world, discovering that they too had been gifted food by killer whales. When he collated the instances, he found 34 cases of killer whales presenting humans with food between 2004 and 2024. He and his colleagues laid out their findings in a paper published recently in the Journal of Comparative Psychology where they attempt to unravel the reasons why killer whales might be doing this. Perhaps, they hypothesized, the killer whales are curious and exploring how humans will react to a gift. Maybe they are playing, though they largely discount this theory because whales of all ages, rather than just juveniles, provisioned food. Or, perhaps it is something more sinister – killer whales have been known to use prey to attract other species and then kill them, but there is no record of orcas ever killing humans in the wild. 'I don't think it's easy to suggest there is one reason for this behavior because there are underlying mechanisms and proximate causes,' Towers said. 'The main underlying mechanism is simply that they can afford to offer us food and the main proximate cause may be that they are doing so as a way to explore and subsequently learn more about us.' In all but one of the cases documented, the killer whales initially waited for a response from the humans before most of them retrieved the food, though some simply abandoned it and some even tried to gift it again. The humans ignored the food almost all the time; they took it only four times and in three of those cases, they threw it back into the water afterward. Pets bring their owners gifts – think of the dead mice or birds that cats leave outside the door – and animals have been observed giving gifts to each other. But until now, there have been barely any recorded cases of wild predators giving gifts to humans, aside from a few instances of false killer whales – a species of dolphin – and leopard seals offering people food. 'In a way, it's not surprising, because… everybody who's on the water with (killer whales) has experienced how inquisitive and curious they are and have had interactions where you know there's something going on between us and them,' Hanne Strager, a researcher and author who wrote 'The Killer Whale Journals,' who wasn't involved in the study, told CNN. Killer whales are one of the most intelligent animals; only humans have a larger brain relative to their body size, according to the study. And they kill much larger animals relative to their own body size than other whales and dolphins, meaning they can have more food to share around. Discover your world Go beyond the headlines and explore the latest scientific achievements and fascinating discoveries. Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. They are also believed to have spindle neurons in their brains – a type of neuron known to be associated with empathy – said Philippa Brakes, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Exeter specializing in whales and dolphins who wasn't involved in the study. While she added that determining motivation is difficult 'because we can't interview them,' she suggested to CNN that it could be 'altruistic' or just a 'basic biological function' mimicking 'something you might do to a juvenile.' The researchers found that it didn't matter where in the world the whale was or whether it was male or female, a calf, a juvenile or adult – they all displayed this behavior. It fits into a wider pattern of killer whales often initiating interactions with humans and boats, offering further insight into their lives. And Towers hopes it serves as a reminder that 'while our species is obviously more technologically advanced than any other on the planet, we do share it with other highly evolved species whose welfare must be considered in our actions.' Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action.
