Orcas have started displaying some horrifying behaviors, leading researchers to issue concerns about how clever these apex predators are becoming, and the threats they pose to humanity and other ocean life, LiveScience reported Sunday.
Forget sharks — even sharks that can walk: There is a much, much scarier beast roaming our waters, according to LiveScience. It all seemed to start back in 2019, when a group of researchers watched in horror as a dozen or so Orcas attacked and ate a blue whale. It was the first time this was ever documented, but not the last, the outlet reported.
Orcas have recently been seen abducting baby pilot whales and ripping open sharks to eat their livers. One pod off the coast of Spain and Portugal keeps going after fishing boats … and sometimes winning. And this behavior apparently isn’t limited to western Europe. It might be happening in Scotland, too.
Another orca repeatedly rammed into a yacht near Scotland as their boat-bashing behavior appears to be spreading north. This is the 4th time it’s happened this year. Orcas are teaching the youth how to attack ships pic.twitter.com/q7bJYtCGfq
— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) June 25, 2023
“These are animals with an incredibly complex and highly evolved brain,” University of Washington orca researcher Deborah Giles told LiveScience. “They’ve got parts of their brain that are associated with memory and emotion that are significantly more developed than even in the human brain.”
But the speed at which orcas are displaying this behavior has some researchers asking: Are these guys getting smarter? (RELATED: Woman Nearly Gored To Death After Trying To Pet Bison In Yellowstone National Park)
The answer is almost definitely “yes,” but more scientific evidence is needed to prove it conclusively. Initial data suggests orcas are incredibly fast learners, and will share new skills with their pod. So, if one orca gets smarter, apparently they all do.