Overview

• The paper published on June 30 in the Journal of Comparative Psychology by Jared Towers and colleagues reported 34 confirmed instances of orcas offering food gifts to humans.
• Observations spanning 2004 to 2024 across six populations, including groups in Norway and New Zealand, form the basis of the analysis.
• Orcas delivered items ranging from fish and stingrays to whale meat, birds, seaweed and even a turtle, often hovering nearby to await human responses before re-presenting declined gifts.
• Researchers suggest motives for the behavior could include interspecific altruism, strategic manipulation of humans and innate curiosity, reflecting complex social cognition and cultural learning.
• No aggression was recorded in any encounter but experts caution against soliciting interactions with these powerful apex predators as cognitive and behavioral studies continue.