Nature & Environment

Killer whales keep offering food to humans and nobody knows why

By T.K. Randall
July 13, 2025

Image: Killer Whales Jumping
Credit: Robert Pittman / (PD) NOAA It is not unusual for a domestic animal such as a cat to offer you a mouse or a bird that it has caught, but this is perhaps the last thing you'd expect a wild killer whale to be doing.

Nonetheless, researchers have documented over 30 cases of killer whales offering fish, rays or squid to humans who are either on boats, standing on the shore or swimming in the ocean.

These incidents, which date back up to 20 years, have been collated by researchers from Canada, New Zealand and Mexico in an effort to better understand this behavior.

Remarkably, in some cases, the orcas attempted to present the food more than once after their intended recipient did not appear to 'accept' the offering."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.

"That they also share with humans may show their interest in relating to us as well."

Orcas are particularly social animals, so it makes sense that this type of behavior might be part of an effort to build relationships - both with each other and with humans.

"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.

"Giving the advanced cognitive abilities and social, cooperative nature of this species, we assume that any or all of these explanations for, and outcomes of such behavior are possible."

Source: Scitech Daily

Tags: Killer Whale, Orca