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Do killer whales attack humans?

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It's clear that in the wild, orcas seem to have a pretty universal rule: don't attack humans. The reason would appear to be both biological and cultural. ... Imo, the Orca intuitively know the risk vs reward of killing other humans and that's why they don't do it. read more

However, wild orcas are not considered a real threat to humans, as there are only a handful of documented cases of wild orcas attacking people and no fatal encounters. In captivity, however, there have been several non-fatal and fatal attacks on humans since the 1970s. read more

Observation has shown that one answer may not be far from the ancient legend. Killer whales seem to follow rules that go beyond basic instinct and border on culture. Individual pods forage, communicate and navigate differently, much the way different cultures of people do. Researchers have witnessed “greeting ceremonies” between pods. read more

News of a trainer being killed by a killer whale at SeaWorld Orlando today doesn't change the fact that these giants, while deadly predators, do not kill humans at sea. "They have never killed a human in the wild," said Nancy Black, a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch. read more

There have been attacks on humans by captive killer whales, with some of them being fatal. 1960s In 1968, the young female orca, Lupa, of the New York Aquarium, chased her trainers out of the tank, snapping her jaws threateningly. read more

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