Orcas Sharing Prey With Humans May Be Trying to Learn ‘Who We Are,’ Researcher Says

Orcas Sharing Prey With Humans May Be Trying to Learn ‘Who We Are,’ Researcher Says
An orca offers a diver a piece of Eagle Ray liver off New Zealand in the Western South Pacific as shown in this handout image provided by Orca Research Trust. The Canadian Press/Handout — Orca Research Trust
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Jared Towers was in his research vessel on two separate occasions watching killer whales off the coast of Vancouver Island when the orcas dropped their prey directly in front of him and his colleagues.

The encounters he describes as “rare” and awe-inspiring have led to a new study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Comparative Psychology, detailing researchers’ experiences with killer whales apparently sharing their food with humans.