Latest news with #Orcas
NDTV
08-07-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Watch: Killer Whales Recorded Sharing Food With Humans
Orcas, better known as killer whales, sit atop the aquatic food chain as one of the most lethal apex predators on Earth. Despite their reputation, a new study has revealed that these killer whales often offer food to humans, with scientists recording the rare event on camera. Based on observations across two decades, scientists found 34 instances where the killer whales approached a human with a range of food items, including dead fish and birds, stunned stingrays and incapacitated sharks. After offering the food, the killer whales wait for the human's reaction. In most instances, humans ignored the offering, after which the whales either recovered the item and tried to share it with the person again, shared the item with pod-mates, or swam away. A few times, the human tossed the food back to the whale, who then tossed it to the human again. The study highlighted that the sharing behaviour was reported in six different populations across four oceans, which suggests that the behaviour is widespread and not just a fad adopted by a single pod. Killer whales have started feeding people. Scientists have documented the rarest behavior of predatory dolphins: they voluntarily share their catch with fishermen. In this way, the animals want to establish contact with us. — Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) July 7, 2025 Orcas are the largest of the dolphins, immediately recognisable by their unique black-and-white complexion. Their behaviour resembles that of a wolf pack as a deadly pod can contain up to 40 individuals. They all use effective, cooperative hunting techniques, which makes them one of the deadliest creatures in the water kingdom. As per lead author Jared Towers, an ecologist at Bay Cetology in Canada, altruistic behaviours are common among orca communities. They share food with family members as a "prosocial activity and a way [to] build relationships with each other". The fact that they "share with humans may show their interest in relating to us as well." Orcas killing whale sharks In November last year, scientists documented evidence that orcas hunted whale sharks, the world's largest shark species that can grow up to 40 feet. The orca pod, using a novel and cunning technique, was found hunting and killing the whale sharks in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico. After collating and analysing media footage collected between 2018 and 2024, scientists found that orcas displayed a collaborative hunting technique to kill whale sharks. They focused on attacking the pelvic area and bleeding out the whale sharks by hitting them at high speed.
Mint
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Du Plessis, Milne and spinners combine to leave Orcas facing elimination
Broward County [Florida], July 6 (ANI): Texas Super Kings batter Faf du Plessis delivered yet another masterclass, ably supported by Shubham Ranjane's composed half-century against Seattle Orcas in the 28th encounter of the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025, according to an official statement from the MLC. Their efforts set the stage for a successful defence, as Adam Milne's five-wicket haul, combined with the spin duo of Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein, ensured that the Texas Super Kings handed a comprehensive 51-run defeat to the Seattle Orcas -- leaving them on the brink of elimination in the third season of the competition. Just an hour before du Plessis stepped out to bat, LAKR's middle order had struggled to chase 29 off 18 balls on the very same wicket -- one that appeared too slow for clean timing. But then came du Plessis, who not only timed the ball to perfection but did so at a remarkable strike rate, continuing his glorious form as one of this season's leading run-scorers, as per a press release from MLC. Being put in to bat first by the Orcas' skipper Sikandar Raza, du Plessis and his opening partner Smit Patel quickly launched an attack, with the latter scoring three boundaries off the very first over delivered by Raza. After Patel lost his wicket to Jasdeep Singh in the final over of the powerplay, Raza delivered another blow to the Super Kings when he ran out Saiteja Mukkamalla in the 8th over. The quick loss of wickets did not deter du Plessis, who, in partnership with a calm Shubham Ranjane, targeted Orcas' medium pacer Cameron Gannon, accumulating 28 runs from him in two overs. As per MLC, Du Plessis took a calculated approach -- rotating the strike and hitting frequent boundaries, including back-to-back sixes off Kyle Mayers -- to maintain an above-par run rate, maximising pressure on the Orcas. Ranjane, in tandem, proved a worthy ally yet again, amassing 65 off 41 deliveries as the Super Kings posted 188/4 -- a tough total for the Orcas to chase if they were to remain alive in the competition. The Orcas launched their response with positive intent in the first three overs as David Warner and Kyle Mayers scored 25. Du Plessis handed the ball to Donovan Ferreira in a surprising move that paid off when the latter's gentle off-spin halted the run flow, leaking only three runs. Adam Milne capitalized well on Ferreira's quiet over, following it up with a double-wicket over, accounting for Warner and an in-form Shayan Jahangir to deliver a strong early blow to the Orcas' chase, the statement added. Du Plessis then turned to his spinners to do their magic on a productive surface. Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad were up to the task, tearing apart the Orcas' middle order with two scalps each. Hosein's wicket of the Orcas' powerhouse Shimron Hetmyer was a decisive blow, denying the latter another chance to repeat his heroics in a chase. With Hetmyer back to the pavilion, Adam Milne returned to dismantle the tail, finishing with 5/23 as Seattle were bundled out for 137. The defeat leaves them all but out of playoff contention, with the Orcas now needing MI New York to lose emphatically to have any chance of qualifying next week. The defeat concluded an underwhelming campaign for Seattle Orcas, who managed to win only three games after a disastrous start at Oakland. On the other hand, finishing their stint at Lauderhill on a high note, the Texas Super Kings will be rejuvenated as they fly back home to Dallas for the Playoffs next week. Brief Score: Texas Super Kings 188/4 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 91, Shubham Ranjane 65*; Cameron Gannon 1/35) beat Seattle Orcas 137 (Kyle Mayers 35, Shimron Hetmyer 26; Adam Milne 5/23). (ANI)
Mint
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Washington Freedom crush Seattle Orcas to go second on MLC table
ANI Published 5 Jul 2025, 11:40 AM IST Florida [US], July 5 (ANI): Shimron Hetmyer had been the hero for Seattle Orcas in their last three games, but this time he couldn't save his team. With Hetmyer having an off day, the Orcas' batting collapsed again, managing just 82 runs. Washington Freedom made light work of the chase, reaching the target in just 9.2 overs to move up to second place on the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 points table, as per ESPNcricinfo. Freedom won the toss and chose to bowl first. They made an instant impact. Saurabh Netravalkar took a wicket with the very first ball, removing Shayan Jahangir. In the next over, Glenn Maxwell dismissed Aaron Jones. Netravalkar struck again in the third, sending Sikandar Raza back, and Maxwell picked up two more in the powerplay, Steven Taylor and Kyle Mayers leaving Orcas reeling at 21/5 after six overs. Maxwell finished with impressive figures of 3/12 runs in four overs. Netravalkar also ended with 3/13, getting his third in the 16th over. Jack Edwards chipped in too, picking up 3/19, including the key wicket of Heinrich Klaasen, who was the only Orcas batter to fight back with 48 runs from 39 balls before being the last man out. In response, Freedom had a smooth chase. Although Raza removed Mitchell Owen in the third over, Rachin Ravindra and Mukhtar Ahmed put together a solid stand. By the end of the powerplay, they had already scored 50/1, needing only 37 more runs from the remaining 14 overs. They got the job done in just over 3 more overs. Ravindra scored 32 off 23 balls before getting out, while Mukhtar remained unbeaten on 36 from 21 deliveries. Despite this heavy loss, the Orcas are still in the race for the playoffs thanks to their earlier three-game winning streak. They remain in fourth place with nine games played. MI New York, currently fifth, are just one win behind with a game in hand. (ANI)
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
MLC 2025: Washington Freedom bolster top two chances by snapping Seattle Orcas' three-match winning run
Washington Freedom secured a commanding eight-wicket victory over Seattle Orcas in the 2025 Major League Cricket match, strengthening their position for a top-two finish. The win came through exceptional bowling performances from , Saurabh Netravalkar, and Jack Edwards, who each claimed three wickets, restricting Orcas to just 82 runs before Freedom chased down the target in 9.2 overs. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The match began with immediate impact as Netravalkar struck on the very first ball of the game. The early breakthrough set the tone for Freedom's dominant bowling display, with Maxwell and Netravalkar combining to take four wickets in the first four overs. Seattle Orcas found themselves in serious trouble at 19 for 5 by the sixth over, with Maxwell claiming his third wicket. Shimron Hetmyer, who had been in strong form in previous matches, could only manage five runs before becoming one of Jack Edwards' victims in the ninth over. MLC: Venky Harinarayan on growing cricket in the USA, AI-driven teams and the Olympic boost Heinrich Klaasen emerged as the lone fighter for the Orcas, scoring 48 runs off 39 balls. However, he received no support from his teammates, as all other batters failed to reach double digits. The Orcas' innings concluded in the 18th over with a total of 82, marking their third-lowest score in MLC history. Freedom's chase was led by Rachin Ravindra, who launched an aggressive assault on the Orcas' bowlers. He targeted Gerald Coetzee, Harmeet Singh, and Sikandar Raza in the opening three overs, setting the tone for a quick chase. The Orcas had opportunities to dismiss Ravindra but failed to capitalize. Aaron Jones dropped him at cover off Coetzee's bowling, and Raza couldn't hold onto a return catch in the following over. These missed chances proved costly as Freedom reached 50 for 1 by the end of the PowerPlay. Major League Cricket 2025 Explained: Teams, Schedule & Where to Watch Mukhtar Ahmed and Ravindra accelerated the scoring rate further, particularly in the eighth over against Coetzee, which yielded 16 runs. Although Jessy Singh managed to dismiss Ravindra in the ninth over, Freedom completed the chase shortly after, finishing at 86 for 2. Brief Scores: Seattle Orcas 82 in 17.4 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 48; Glenn Maxwell 3-12, Saurabh Netravalkar 3-13, Jack Edwards 3-19) lost to Washington Freedom 86/2 in 9.2 overs (Mukhtar Ahmed 36*, Rachin Ravindra 32) by 8 wickets.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Wild orcas will sometimes offer food to humans
Orcas (Orcinus orca) don't appear to be big fans of yachts, but some of them may be curious about humans themselves. According to a study published on June 30 in the Journal of Comparative Psychology, cetology researchers have confirmed dozens of instances of killer whales intentionally approaching people and offering them food—a behavior they typically reserve for building bonds between orca pods. 'Orcas often share food with each other—it's a prosocial activity and a way that they build relationships with each other,' Jared Towers, a study lead author and executive director of the British Columbia-based research organization Bay Cetology said in a statement. 'That they also share with humans may show their interest in relating to us as well.' Towers collaborated with Vanessa Prigollini at Mexico's Marine Education Association along with killer whale expert Ingrid Visser at the Orca Research Trust in New Zealand to collect incidents of the apex predators voluntarily meeting people. They ultimately confirmed 34 events spanning the last two decades. In total, 11 instances involved orcas approaching humans swimming in water, 21 cases occurred while people were on boats, and another two examples were recorded from shore. However, the researchers didn't simply take witnesses at their word. In order to be included in the study, a potential documentation needed to meet stringent criteria after reviewing any video and photographic evidence, as well as subject interviews. In each event, the orcas must have approached humans of their own volition, then dropped an item in front of them. The whales varied in both age and sex, but all except one appeared to wait for a reaction. In some cases, they even reattempted their food offers—a mix of fish, mammals, invertebrates, birds, as well as one reptile and one piece of seaweed. 'Offering items to humans could simultaneously include opportunities for killer whales to practice learned cultural behavior, explore or play and in so doing learn about, manipulate or develop relationships with us,' the researchers wrote in the study. 'Giving the advanced cognitive abilities and social, cooperative nature of this species, we assume that any or all these explanations for, and outcomes of such behavior are possible.' The team added these may be the first in-depth descriptions of non-domesticated animals behaving in ways that are usually reserved for household pets like cats and dogs. They may also mark the first accounts of wild predators purposefully employing prey and other objects to 'directly explore human behavior.' If true, these instances 'may highlight the evolutionary convergence of intellect between highest order primates and dolphins.'
