07/08/2025
Researchers have documented 34 global cases of killer whales offering prey to humans, suggesting the behavior may be a form of interspecies social exploration or relationship-building.
In most incidents, orcas waited for human reactions before retrieving or abandoning the offered prey, which included fish, birds, and even seaweed, pointing to a deliberate and curious engagement.
The study, published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology, highlights this behavior as part of killer whales’ advanced cognition and social culture, placing them among the few wild predators to show such prosocial tendencies toward humans.
