• Question: do kill whales eat people

    Asked by arora to Lauren, Marisol, Michael, Sarah, Sophie on 14 Nov 2016.
    • Photo: Marisol Collins

      Marisol Collins answered on 14 Nov 2016:

      Hi Arora! Thank you for your question! I did a little bit of research on the internet, and I couldn’t find any reports of a killer whale eating a person. In fact, the chances of being even attacked by a killer whale are extremely low. Even though killer whales do eat other animals, like seals, smaller whales and dolphins, it doesn’t look like they like to eat humans at all.. From what I read, they are family orientated and friendly animals. I think there have been a small number of cases where people have been hurt (by accident or maybe on purpose) by killer whales that are kept captive in amusement parks. These whales have been trained to perform, but there are many people, me included, that think that whales and dolphins should not be kept in this way, and should only live in the wild. It may be that these attacks have happened because the whales, who are very intelligent, are not happy or suited to be kept captive. But, I don’t think they would eat a human, no. Maybe humans just don’t taste very nice to them?

    • Photo: Michael Rivera

      Michael Rivera answered on 14 Nov 2016:

      I completely agree with Marisol in thinking that killer whales, dolphins and seals should not be kept in theme parks. This is because they really should be living in the open sea, with plenty of space to swim and socialise with each other. Often animals kept in tanks feel very lonely and have been known to suffer from depression because of this. Because their pools are much smaller than the open sea, they can also get bored or frustrated easily from not having the space – leading to some cases in the past where killer whales have become really angry and hurting their trainers as a result. Another side-effect is that they do not know they are only going clockwise or counter-clockwise in a pool, and without realising it, their necks and backs are suffering from many alignment issues that can lead to stiff bones and painful swimming. 🙁

      I think it’s best that most of these animals are not captured to be displayed at amusement parks and zoos (unless a park can ensure they will have the space and company they need). There are many marine wildlife scientists who try to fight this, because it is so sad… wouldn’t you agree?

      Michael

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