Killer Whale Attacks On Humans
Killer whales (or orcas) are powerful predators capable of killing prey much larger than humans, such as leopard seals and great white sharks. They have also been recorded preying on usually terrestrial species such as moose swimming between islands. However, wild orcas are not considered a real threat to humans, as there are few documented cases of wild orcas attacking people, and none of the recorded attacks have been fatal. There have been about two dozen cases of orcas attacking humans since the 1970s, almost exclusively perpetrated by captive animals. Experts are divided as to whether the injuries and deaths caused by captive killer whales have been accidents or deliberate attempts to cause harm.
Read more about Killer Whale Attacks On Humans: Wild Orca Attacks, Captive Orca Attacks, Incidents Involving Unidentified Captive Orcas, Notable Orcas Involved in Incidents
Famous quotes containing the words killer, whale, attacks and/or humans:
“If someone is burdened with the blood of another, let that killer be a fugitive until death; let no one offer assistance.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Proverbs 28:17.
“In clear weather the laziest may look across the Bay as far as Plymouth at a glance, or over the Atlantic as far as human vision reaches, merely raising his eyelids; or if he is too lazy to look after all, he can hardly help hearing the ceaseless dash and roar of the breakers. The restless ocean may at any moment cast up a whale or a wrecked vessel at your feet. All the reporters in the world, the most rapid stenographers, could not report the news it brings.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Under peaceful conditions, the warlike man attacks himself.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“Because humans are not alone in exhibiting such behavior—bees stockpile royal jelly, birds feather their nests, mice shred paper—it’s possible that a pregnant woman who scrubs her house from floor to ceiling [just before her baby is born] is responding to a biological imperative . . . . Of course there are those who believe that . . . the burst of energy that propels a pregnant woman to clean her house is a perfectly natural response to their mother’s impending visit.”
—Mary Arrigo (20th century)