Orcas Deliver Mysterious Gifts to Humans—But Why?

Ever found yourself staring into the abyss, wondering, “If an orca slid over a complimentary mackerel, would I be rude to refuse?” Yeah, me neither—until now . If you’ve ever questioned the proper etiquette when a killer whale offers you seaweed hors d’oeuvres or a morsel of partially digested harbor seal, you’re in good company . Turns out, wild orcas have been spotted making these culinary gestures to humans an impressive 34 times, calling into question everything we thought we knew about cross-species networking (do I send a thank you card, or is that too much?) . The ocean’s most iconic black-and-white apex predators might just be inviting us to the most exclusive dinner party on Earth, but the real question is—do you accept a fishy gift from someone who can swallow you whole? With each nibbly offering, I can’t help but wonder if this is the start of true interspecies friendship, or just the world’s weirdest food delivery service . Hungry for more details? LEARN MORE

Wild orcas have been observed intentionally offering humans pieces of fish, marine mammals, and even seaweed across 34 recorded instances, suggesting a rare form of cross-species cooperative behavior given they thrive on surplus prey. What do you think?

“My parents always told me not to accept food from orcas I don’t know.”

Lily Filippo, Sand Sourcer

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“I told them, like, 100 times that I’m off harbor seal.”

Travis Reis, Coral Bleacher

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“There’s no such thing as free seaweed.”

Mohammed Shehadeh, Skydiving Promoter