Marine Giants with a Surprising Gesture: Killer Whales Donate Their Catch to Humans

23.07.2025 | Curious from around the world

An international scientific team documented a unique phenomenon of interspecies interaction, in which killer whales voluntarily offer marine gifts to humans in various coastal regions.

Снимка от Robert Pittman, Wikimedia Commons (обществено достояние)

A large-scale study covering a geographical area from California to New Zealand reveals a remarkable communicative pattern among killer whales. Experts have recorded a total of 34 documented cases where these marine mammals perform an unprecedented act of inter-species sharing.

A scientific team from research centers in Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand establishes that whales not only transfer their catch but also display exceptional social intelligence. They wait for a human reaction and, in the absence of an initial response, offer the prey again - a phenomenon they define as a "repeat offer".

This unique behavioral model sparks serious interest in scientific circles, raising fundamental questions about communicative abilities, empathy, and cultural inheritance in marine mammals. Experts view the phenomenon as potential evidence of complex social mechanisms beyond previously known scientific paradigms.