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Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why?
When researcher Jared Towers set up his cameras underwater to observe a pair of killer whales, he saw something strange. One of the orcas, a juvenile female, 'approached a camera I had in the water to film her younger brother and then opened her mouth and let out a dead seabird,' Towers, the executive director of Bay Cetology, a Canadian team of marine biologists based in Alert Bay, British Columbia, told CNN. She closed her mouth, paused, apparently watching for Towers' reaction and hung in the water while the dead seabird floated up above her. Then, after a few seconds, she rolled around towards the camera and swallowed the bird again. A few years later, Towers saw another young female killer whale displaying the same behavior – this time, however, the orca 'dropped a freshly killed harbor seal pup right beside my boat.' Towers discussed these incidents with his colleagues around the world, discovering that they too had been gifted food by killer whales. When he collated the instances, he found 34 cases of killer whales presenting humans with food between 2004 and 2024. He and his colleagues laid out their findings in a paper published recently in the Journal of Comparative Psychology where they attempt to unravel the reasons why killer whales might be doing this. Perhaps, they hypothesized, the killer whales are curious and exploring how humans will react to a gift. Maybe they are playing, though they largely discount this theory because whales of all ages, rather than just juveniles, provisioned food. Or, perhaps it is something more sinister – killer whales have been known to use prey to attract other species and then kill them, but there is no record of orcas ever killing humans in the wild. 'I don't think it's easy to suggest there is one reason for this behavior because there are underlying mechanisms and proximate causes,' Towers said. 'The main underlying mechanism is simply that they can afford to offer us food and the main proximate cause may be that they are doing so as a way to explore and subsequently learn more about us.' In all but one of the cases documented, the killer whales initially waited for a response from the humans before most of them retrieved the food, though some simply abandoned it and some even tried to gift it again. The humans ignored the food almost all the time; they took it only four times and in three of those cases, they threw it back into the water afterward. Pets bring their owners gifts – think of the dead mice or birds that cats leave outside the door – and animals have been observed giving gifts to each other. But until now, there have been barely any recorded cases of wild predators giving gifts to humans, aside from a few instances of false killer whales – a species of dolphin – and leopard seals offering people food. 'In a way, it's not surprising, because… everybody who's on the water with (killer whales) has experienced how inquisitive and curious they are and have had interactions where you know there's something going on between us and them,' Hanne Strager, a researcher and author who wrote 'The Killer Whale Journals,' who wasn't involved in the study, told CNN. Killer whales are one of the most intelligent animals; only humans have a larger brain relative to their body size, according to the study. And they kill much larger animals relative to their own body size than other whales and dolphins, meaning they can have more food to share around. They are also believed to have spindle neurons in their brains – a type of neuron known to be associated with empathy – said Philippa Brakes, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Exeter specializing in whales and dolphins who wasn't involved in the study. While she added that determining motivation is difficult 'because we can't interview them,' she suggested to CNN that it could be 'altruistic' or just a 'basic biological function' mimicking 'something you might do to a juvenile.' The researchers found that it didn't matter where in the world the whale was or whether it was male or female, a calf, a juvenile or adult – they all displayed this behavior. It fits into a wider pattern of killer whales often initiating interactions with humans and boats, offering further insight into their lives. And Towers hopes it serves as a reminder that 'while our species is obviously more technologically advanced than any other on the planet, we do share it with other highly evolved species whose welfare must be considered in our actions.' Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action.
CTV News
09-07-2025
- Science
- CTV News
Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why?
Researchers said there are many reasons why orcas bring humans food. (Ingrid N. Visser/Orca Research Trust via CNN Newsource) When researcher Jared Towers set up his cameras underwater to observe a pair of killer whales, he saw something strange. One of the orcas, a juvenile female, 'approached a camera I had in the water to film her younger brother and then opened her mouth and let out a dead seabird,' Towers, the executive director of Bay Cetology, a Canadian team of marine biologists based in Alert Bay, British Columbia, told CNN. She closed her mouth, paused, apparently watching for Towers' reaction and hung in the water while the dead seabird floated up above her. Then, after a few seconds, she rolled around towards the camera and swallowed the bird again. A few years later, Towers saw another young female killer whale displaying the same behavior – this time, however, the orca 'dropped a freshly killed harbor seal pup right beside my boat.' Towers discussed these incidents with his colleagues around the world, discovering that they too had been gifted food by killer whales. When he collated the instances, he found 34 cases of killer whales presenting humans with food between 2004 and 2024. He and his colleagues laid out their findings in a paper published recently in the Journal of Comparative Psychology where they attempt to unravel the reasons why killer whales might be doing this. Perhaps, they hypothesized, the killer whales are curious and exploring how humans will react to a gift. Maybe they are playing, though they largely discount this theory because whales of all ages, rather than just juveniles, provisioned food. Or, perhaps it is something more sinister – killer whales have been known to use prey to attract other species and then kill them, but there is no record of orcas ever killing humans in the wild. 'I don't think it's easy to suggest there is one reason for this behavior because there are underlying mechanisms and proximate causes,' Towers said. 'The main underlying mechanism is simply that they can afford to offer us food and the main proximate cause may be that they are doing so as a way to explore and subsequently learn more about us.' In all but one of the cases documented, the killer whales initially waited for a response from the humans before most of them retrieved the food, though some simply abandoned it and some even tried to gift it again. The humans ignored the food almost all the time; they took it only four times and in three of those cases, they threw it back into the water afterward. Pets bring their owners gifts – think of the dead mice or birds that cats leave outside the door – and animals have been observed giving gifts to each other. But until now, there have been barely any recorded cases of wild predators giving gifts to humans, aside from a few instances of false killer whales – a species of dolphin – and leopard seals offering people food. 'In a way, it's not surprising, because… everybody who's on the water with (killer whales) has experienced how inquisitive and curious they are and have had interactions where you know there's something going on between us and them,' Hanne Strager, a researcher and author who wrote 'The Killer Whale Journals,' who wasn't involved in the study, told CNN. Killer whales are one of the most intelligent animals; only humans have a larger brain relative to their body size, according to the study. And they kill much larger animals relative to their own body size than other whales and dolphins, meaning they can have more food to share around. They are also believed to have spindle neurons in their brains – a type of neuron known to be associated with empathy – said Philippa Brakes, a behavioural ecologist at the University of Exeter specializing in whales and dolphins who wasn't involved in the study. While she added that determining motivation is difficult 'because we can't interview them,' she suggested to CNN that it could be 'altruistic' or just a 'basic biological function' mimicking 'something you might do to a juvenile.' The researchers found that it didn't matter where in the world the whale was or whether it was male or female, a calf, a juvenile or adult – they all displayed this behaviour. It fits into a wider pattern of killer whales often initiating interactions with humans and boats, offering further insight into their lives. And Towers hopes it serves as a reminder that 'while our species is obviously more technologically advanced than any other on the planet, we do share it with other highly evolved species whose welfare must be considered in our actions.' By Issy Ronald, CNN
CNN
09-07-2025
- Science
- CNN
Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why?
When researcher Jared Towers set up his cameras underwater to observe a pair of killer whales, he saw something strange. One of the orcas, a juvenile female, 'approached a camera I had in the water to film her younger brother and then opened her mouth and let out a dead seabird,' Towers, the executive director of Bay Cetology, a Canadian team of marine biologists based in Alert Bay, British Columbia, told CNN. She closed her mouth, paused, apparently watching for Towers' reaction and hung in the water while the dead seabird floated up above her. Then, after a few seconds, she rolled around towards the camera and swallowed the bird again. A few years later, Towers saw another young female killer whale displaying the same behavior – this time, however, the orca 'dropped a freshly killed harbor seal pup right beside my boat.' Towers discussed these incidents with his colleagues around the world, discovering that they too had been gifted food by killer whales. When he collated the instances, he found 34 cases of killer whales presenting humans with food between 2004 and 2024. He and his colleagues laid out their findings in a paper published recently in the Journal of Comparative Psychology where they attempt to unravel the reasons why killer whales might be doing this. Perhaps, they hypothesized, the killer whales are curious and exploring how humans will react to a gift. Maybe they are playing, though they largely discount this theory because whales of all ages, rather than just juveniles, provisioned food. Or, perhaps it is something more sinister – killer whales have been known to use prey to attract other species and then kill them, but there is no record of orcas ever killing humans in the wild. 'I don't think it's easy to suggest there is one reason for this behavior because there are underlying mechanisms and proximate causes,' Towers said. 'The main underlying mechanism is simply that they can afford to offer us food and the main proximate cause may be that they are doing so as a way to explore and subsequently learn more about us.' In all but one of the cases documented, the killer whales initially waited for a response from the humans before most of them retrieved the food, though some simply abandoned it and some even tried to gift it again. The humans ignored the food almost all the time; they took it only four times and in three of those cases, they threw it back into the water afterward. Pets bring their owners gifts – think of the dead mice or birds that cats leave outside the door – and animals have been observed giving gifts to each other. But until now, there have been barely any recorded cases of wild predators giving gifts to humans, aside from a few instances of false killer whales – a species of dolphin – and leopard seals offering people food. 'In a way, it's not surprising, because… everybody who's on the water with (killer whales) has experienced how inquisitive and curious they are and have had interactions where you know there's something going on between us and them,' Hanne Strager, a researcher and author who wrote 'The Killer Whale Journals,' who wasn't involved in the study, told CNN. Killer whales are one of the most intelligent animals; only humans have a larger brain relative to their body size, according to the study. And they kill much larger animals relative to their own body size than other whales and dolphins, meaning they can have more food to share around. Discover your world Go beyond the headlines and explore the latest scientific achievements and fascinating discoveries. Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. They are also believed to have spindle neurons in their brains – a type of neuron known to be associated with empathy – said Philippa Brakes, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Exeter specializing in whales and dolphins who wasn't involved in the study. While she added that determining motivation is difficult 'because we can't interview them,' she suggested to CNN that it could be 'altruistic' or just a 'basic biological function' mimicking 'something you might do to a juvenile.' The researchers found that it didn't matter where in the world the whale was or whether it was male or female, a calf, a juvenile or adult – they all displayed this behavior. It fits into a wider pattern of killer whales often initiating interactions with humans and boats, offering further insight into their lives. And Towers hopes it serves as a reminder that 'while our species is obviously more technologically advanced than any other on the planet, we do share it with other highly evolved species whose welfare must be considered in our actions.' Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action.
CNN
09-07-2025
- Science
- CNN
Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why?
When researcher Jared Towers set up his cameras underwater to observe a pair of killer whales, he saw something strange. One of the orcas, a juvenile female, 'approached a camera I had in the water to film her younger brother and then opened her mouth and let out a dead seabird,' Towers, the executive director of Bay Cetology, a Canadian team of marine biologists based in Alert Bay, British Columbia, told CNN. She closed her mouth, paused, apparently watching for Towers' reaction and hung in the water while the dead seabird floated up above her. Then, after a few seconds, she rolled around towards the camera and swallowed the bird again. A few years later, Towers saw another young female killer whale displaying the same behavior – this time, however, the orca 'dropped a freshly killed harbor seal pup right beside my boat.' Towers discussed these incidents with his colleagues around the world, discovering that they too had been gifted food by killer whales. When he collated the instances, he found 34 cases of killer whales presenting humans with food between 2004 and 2024. He and his colleagues laid out their findings in a paper published recently in the Journal of Comparative Psychology where they attempt to unravel the reasons why killer whales might be doing this. Perhaps, they hypothesized, the killer whales are curious and exploring how humans will react to a gift. Maybe they are playing, though they largely discount this theory because whales of all ages, rather than just juveniles, provisioned food. Or, perhaps it is something more sinister – killer whales have been known to use prey to attract other species and then kill them, but there is no record of orcas ever killing humans in the wild. 'I don't think it's easy to suggest there is one reason for this behavior because there are underlying mechanisms and proximate causes,' Towers said. 'The main underlying mechanism is simply that they can afford to offer us food and the main proximate cause may be that they are doing so as a way to explore and subsequently learn more about us.' In all but one of the cases documented, the killer whales initially waited for a response from the humans before most of them retrieved the food, though some simply abandoned it and some even tried to gift it again. The humans ignored the food almost all the time; they took it only four times and in three of those cases, they threw it back into the water afterward. Pets bring their owners gifts – think of the dead mice or birds that cats leave outside the door – and animals have been observed giving gifts to each other. But until now, there have been barely any recorded cases of wild predators giving gifts to humans, aside from a few instances of false killer whales – a species of dolphin – and leopard seals offering people food. 'In a way, it's not surprising, because… everybody who's on the water with (killer whales) has experienced how inquisitive and curious they are and have had interactions where you know there's something going on between us and them,' Hanne Strager, a researcher and author who wrote 'The Killer Whale Journals,' who wasn't involved in the study, told CNN. Killer whales are one of the most intelligent animals; only humans have a larger brain relative to their body size, according to the study. And they kill much larger animals relative to their own body size than other whales and dolphins, meaning they can have more food to share around. Discover your world Go beyond the headlines and explore the latest scientific achievements and fascinating discoveries. Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. They are also believed to have spindle neurons in their brains – a type of neuron known to be associated with empathy – said Philippa Brakes, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Exeter specializing in whales and dolphins who wasn't involved in the study. While she added that determining motivation is difficult 'because we can't interview them,' she suggested to CNN that it could be 'altruistic' or just a 'basic biological function' mimicking 'something you might do to a juvenile.' The researchers found that it didn't matter where in the world the whale was or whether it was male or female, a calf, a juvenile or adult – they all displayed this behavior. It fits into a wider pattern of killer whales often initiating interactions with humans and boats, offering further insight into their lives. And Towers hopes it serves as a reminder that 'while our species is obviously more technologically advanced than any other on the planet, we do share it with other highly evolved species whose welfare must be considered in our actions.' Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action.
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
'Alien visitors' theory as Net goes wild for 'skull' lurking off Canadian island
Internet sleuths swear they have seen a huge skull lurking in the waters of a Canadian island. And some are now claiming it might be a sign of alien interference. UFO tracker Scott Waring told of the sighting off Cormorant Island: 'I believe ancient alien visitors created the skull. They did this to leave a sign behind for others to see that says, "We were here first." ' When viewed from the north, a sandbank beneath the water reveals a distinct shape of a human skull. However, scientists contend there is a simple explanation for the confounding illusion. The strange skull-like formation can be found on Google Maps by searching for the village of Alert Bay, the only settlement on the tiny island, which is located off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island in Canada's British Columbia province. However, you will need to rotate the map 180 degrees in order to see the 'face' looming out from the waters. On social media, commenters flocked to share their amazement. One wrote: 'That's actually incredible. It's amazing!!' Another chimed in: 'Help me out here, in the words of X-Files, I want to believe.' While the sight might be a mystery to some, Waring is convinced it must be extraterrestrial in origin. The founder of UFO Sightings Daily says that the sandbar's human-like appearance is 'not a coincidence.' He added: 'The details of the skull are completely accurate, but on a scale of 100 meters across.' But not everyone is on board with these claims of alien activity. UFO researcher Philip Mantle told 'There are no signs that alien life forms have visited Earth in antiquity and left evidence of such. 'It could well be a natural rock formation that looks skull-like. A bit like seeing faces in the clouds.' In fact, scientists say there is a good reason why all sorts of geological structures get mistaken for faces or skulls. When faced with a structure containing intricate and varied patterns, the brain turns this noisy, dynamic information into patterns and objects that we can understand. The brain gets this right most of the time, but sometimes certain predispositions cause errors that disturb our perceptions. Dr Robin Kramer, an expert on face perception from the University of Lincoln in eastern England, told 'Our face detection system has evolved to be great at detecting faces and it makes more sense to err on the side of caution by occasionally seeing faces where there aren't any, rather than missing faces where there are.' Scientists call this phenomenon pareidolia, which is a bias towards seeing meaningful patterns in inanimate objects. Dr Kramer says: 'Face pareidolia explains why we might see faces in geological structures, as well as pretty much anything else.' Scientists think that we evolved this sensitivity towards faces because it helped our ancestors find friends and spot enemies. For hunter-gatherers, it was better to briefly mistake a bush for your neighbor's animal than miss someone sneaking up on you. Professor Kevin Brooks, a psychologist at Macquarie University in Australia, told 'We tend to classify anything vaguely face-like as a face until proven otherwise – it's safer that way. 'Evolutionary psychologists speculate that we evolved this mechanism to help our survival, and increase our chances of passing on our genes, bringing forth another generation of people who are also good at face detection.' Some people are more sensitive to faces and so might experience more pareidolia in their daily lives. Dr Susan Wardle, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health, said pareidolia is not 'usually' a sign of any psychological or neurological issues. However, a high rate of pareidolia might be a sign of someone's bias towards believing in the paranormal. A Finnish study conducted in 2012 found that people with religious or paranormal beliefs were much more likely to see faces in random stimuli. This could explain why alien hunters seem to find faces or patterns in geological features so frequently. Dr Wardle concludes: 'Most people who see faces in things recognize that the faces are not real. 'Issues can arise when people interpret visual patterns to have meaning that they do not, or when they have difficulty distinguishing true perceptions from illusory ones.' WHY DO WE SEE FACES IN INANIMATE OBJECTS? Pareidolia is the psychological response to seeing faces and other significant and everyday items in random stimuli. It is a form of apophenia, when people see patterns in random, unconnected data. There have been multiple occasions when people have claimed to see religious images and themes in unexpected places. On the red planet, one of the most famous is the 'face on Mars' spotted by one of the Viking orbiters in 1976. This was later proven to just be a chance alignment of shifting sand dunes.
