Orcas Are Becoming Smarter And More Terrifying At The Same Time: Humans Are To Blame?

Michelle Hall
Oct 24, 2023
Oct 24, 2023

Orcas Are Becoming Terrifyingly Smart

Source: Google Images

A few years ago, off the coast of southwestern Australia, something remarkable occurred that stunned researchers: a group of orcas decided to take on one of the ocean's behemoths, the blue whale, and emerged victorious.

In this unprecedented event, the orcas feasted on the enormous blue whale, consuming large portions of its flesh. The massive creature succumbed to its injuries about an hour later. This event marked the first documented case of orcas preying on blue whales, but it certainly wasn't the last.

More recently, orcas, also known as killer whales (Orcinus orca), have been involved in a series of astonishing incidents. They've been observed abducting baby pilot whales and even devouring the livers of sharks.

Source: Google Images

In the waters of Spain and Portugal, a particular group of orcas has taken to ramming and sinking boats, something we thought only happens in Hungry Shark.

Deborah Giles, an orca researcher from the University of Washington and the nonprofit Wild Orca, emphasized the intricate nature of these creatures. "These are animals with an incredibly complex and highly evolved brain," she stated. "They've got parts of their brain that are associated with memory and emotion that are significantly more developed than even in the human brain."

However, it raises a question: are orcas becoming more intelligent, and if so, what's driving this evolution?

Source: Google Images

On a fundamental anatomical level, it's improbable that the brains of orcas are changing. According to marine ecologist Josh McInnes from the University of British Columbia, "Behavioral change can influence anatomical change in an animal or a population," but it necessitates thousands of years of evolution for such transformations to occur.

Orcas are astute learners, which means they can teach each other new tactics and adapt as a group. Many of the behaviors that seem novel today may have been in practice for ages but only recently documented by humans. Just like in human societies, some of these learned behaviors may catch on and become trends, spreading throughout the orca populations.

A Possible Reason For Change? Human Interactions

The frequent interaction with humans due to boat traffic and fishing activities may also be a driving force behind orcas acquiring new behaviors. As their environment undergoes changes, orcas must respond quickly and rely on social learning to survive and adapt.

In a recent study published last year, scientists documented orcas killing and consuming blue whales for the first time, with a new hunting strategy. This new hunting behavior involves orcas working together to push young blue whales beneath the surface to suffocate them.

Such complex hunting strategies are socially learned and passed from adult orcas to their young, with the dominant female in a pod typically leading the way.

A Possible Reason For Change? Human Interactions

Source: Google Images

It's worth noting that human activities are indirectly influencing orcas to become even smarter. Orcas have been observed innovating and learning new techniques in response to human presence, such as their raids on longlines and trawl fisheries.

Human-induced climate change is also forcing orcas to rely more on social learning, as their hunting habits change in response to evolving ecosystems.

Unfortunately, some human activities have disrupted the social bonds that underpin orcas' learning and adaptation.

Overfishing of salmon off the coast of Washington, for instance, has weakened social connections among orca populations, making it harder for them to learn from one another and adapt to their changing environment.

Orcas Are Becoming Smarter And More Terrifying At The Same Time: Humans Are To Blame?

Orcas Are Becoming Terrifyingly Smart

A Possible Reason For Change? Human Interactions

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