Why Wild Orcas Have Never Killed a Human

Killer whales drown blue whales and flip great white sharks, yet there isn't a single confirmed case of a wild orca killing a person. Why does the ocean's deadliest predator leave the slowest, softest thing in the water alone? We start on the Antarctic sea ice in 1911, when orcas broke the floe under a photographer, then test four popular explanations one by one: we're a bad meal, their sonar tells them we're wrong, they're afraid of us, they respect us. Each one breaks on a real case. The answer is about who taught each orca what food is, and it ends with something stranger: wild orcas offering their prey to people. 0:00 The ice that moved 1:45 Not worth the trouble? 4:29 Wrong on the radar? 7:36 Scared of us? 9:51 Grandma's menu 13:03 A brand-new tradition 15:43 The gifts 18:19 Back on the ice Music: Music by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. (scottbuckley.com.au) FAIR USE DISCLAIMER: This video is made for commentary, criticism and education. Short excerpts of footage are used under the fair use provisions of Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, transformed with original narration, research, analysis and graphics. All footage remains the property of its respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended. If you own any footage shown here and would like it credited differently or removed, please contact us and we will act promptly.