Question about orcas

[Henryville]

After seeing footage in Blue Planet, and reading about orcas ganging up to kill a great white shark in The Devil's Teeth, I was wondering... Are there any documented cases of orcas attacking humans? I'm not scared of sharks, but these creatures could give me pause.

 

[Blitz]

I don't want to say that they don't attack, but I have never heard of an instance.

After seeing footage in Blue Planet, and reading about orcas ganging up to kill a great white shark in The Devil's Teeth, I was wondering... Are there any documented cases of orcas attacking humans? I'm not scared of sharks, but these creatures could give me pause.

 

[Peter_C]

Didn't you see the movie "Orca"? It was real ya know

Orca's will also kill other whales. They are the king of the sea.

 

[DeputyDan]

Just because its not recorded does not mean it has not happened.

My feeling is - that "depending on how hungry an animal is" it may do things out of character - including us humans.

 

[pupdiver]

Captive orcas have attacked humans at marine parks on quite a few occasions, but they usually explain it away as being related to mating behavior or such.

Orca attacks on humans in the wild are extremely rare but have occurred. Here is a Seattle Times article about one such attack. The article claims no fatal orca attacks have ever been reported.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002445380_orca19m.html

I wouldn't fear an attack from an orca. They are too rare to worry about. I think pilot whales are actually considered more likely to attack humans than orcas and that is also extremely rare. If I ever encountered an orca while diving I would consider myself incredibly fortunate. The dives I had with hammerhead sharks in Belize remain the best dives of my life.

 

[vladimir]

Check this out: http://www.orcahome.de/orcadiving.htm

 

[nwbrewer]

You know, I'm not as concerned with whether or not a killer whale is going to attack me, as whether or not he's feeling playful. That could ruin your day in a hurry...

Jake

 

[grassyknoll]

When I lived in Alaska I had heard rumor that on (rare) occasion they had come up through thinner ice and taken people mistaking them for seals.
Orca-(said with English accent) "Oh terribly sorry old sport, I seem to have mistaken you for a seal".
Doubt they would have eaten them but once your in the arctic water thats no consolation.

 

[Henryville]

Check this out: http://www.orcahome.de/orcadiving.htm

Fascinating stories. I had the impression that with their intelligence and "capabiliites," (watching them in Blue Planet hunting seals at the beach and as a pack pursuing and killing a whale in the open ocean) if we were on their menu, we would know about it. It makes me wonder if it is imprinting, instinct or pure intelligence that makes them recognize what we are, and that we're not something they enjoy consuming.

 

[Peter_C]

I have heard they are known to flip a kayak over, when being playful.