Orcas Kill, But Not Just for Food | Bad Natured | BBC Earth

While filming orcas, Steve Backshall witnessed them hunting and killing prey, but not for food. He explains why they do this and how he’s processed this disturbing behaviour.
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[@superfly19751]

I found it incredibly fortunate and such a blessing l, and delightful that Orcas are incredibly intelligent, they recognize human and don’t prey on us. Otherwise they would be 100x scarier than sharks.

[@TotallyNoCat]

They're so smart they know they'll get fucked up if they eat humans. They know we'll hunt them to extinction.

[@Hansulf]

But then they would already be extint and there would not be any video about orcas killing for sport.

[@mikethescienceguy]

I believe it might be because the orcas see us as a source of food rather than food itself. Orcas have been known for stealing fish caught by fishermen

[@einseinstein572]

Its not fortune, its smarts. If they predated humans theyd be dead.

[@TTCS]

@@einseinstein572 in theory, in modern times yeah, drop a depth charge on em and bam, whale oil. Back in 17-1800 eh, could go either way. We dont go unnecessarily killing sharks because there is 8 shark attacks a year.

[@noneofyourbuisness1679]

I think the reason people find this so "dark" or "disturbing" is because we're so use to distinguishing ourselves from other animals. For the longest time, we thought that we were something truly unique. But then we find animals using tools, displaying emotions, solving complex problems, developing cultures, and even languages. And we accept it because it appears so innocent on the surface, almost like watching a baby learn how to talk and whatnot; we see them as a counterpart to ourselves. But then we see things like this, killing for sport or education, and we're scared because it forces us to contend with a part of ourselves that we don't like or condemn. We lambast war and killing of others, and yet animals do this, too. And we're afraid because it's like learning that the aforementioned baby has some how killed someone when you weren't looking. We're so use to being set apart from the rest that finding another species - and on our own planet, no less - that shares so many parallels to us is truly unnerving to some.

[@biokosmos]

I agree.. WE are all animals, so any sentient being is a individual can be bad, good, generous, stupid, curious etc etc

[@L.P.1987]

Like #100. Amazing comment.

[@prishanitin1176]

So true.. I've noticed this often.

[@bigmoe9856]

People can't make up their minds, either they think humans are fools that have turned from Nature's Grace or that we're sheperds who're supposed to guide the _innocent_ animals because *we know better.*

[@astick5249]

But in reality we just have to accept the fact that we are animals, and that its quite useless to distinguish ourselves in the way we do

[@rottweilerfun9520]

If they don't train their young , they could starve to death someday. That's pretty rough too. The fish and crabs will feast on the dead , nothing goes to waste in nature.

[@HughMorristheJoker]

Nothing goes to waste, except all life

[@bradleywoods3742]

True, but why don't they eat it? Also this doesn't explain the videos of orca ive seen when they launch seals 40ft into the sky, they really are just having fun with their "food"

[@Pedro_Le_Chef]

You can make the argument for humans needlessly killing other animals though "They are just leaving them to other organisms to nourish themselves!" Lets call it what it is: cruelty. And that's fine. We are cruel, chimps are cruel, orcas are cruel, it is simply reality.

[@timp1293]

Orcas are highly intelligent and therefore have complex behavior. They kill not just for food, but also for teaching their young, and for playing, which we perceive as cruelty. And the fact that they sometimes let their prey go free could also mean that they have compassion when there’s no need for food. They are absolutely fascinating.

[@lo-firobotboy7112]

I don't see it as cruelty. Also, the carcasses the orca leave behind go on to provide food for other animals in the eco-system. In fact, the off-shore orca the feed primarily on large sharks, eat only the livers and leave the rest of the animal to drop down through the water column providing nutrients to myriad creatures. The premise of this little snippet of a documentary is problematic.

[@ARod-br2ui]

I seen a documentary about preying on the seals on the beach. This particular documentary showed them playing and tossing a baby seal for a while. Then when they were done playing with it, they bought back to shore unharmed and just released it.

[@sheene71]

CALLED SURVIVAL !!!! ALL IT IS

[@dan4461]

cats play all the time. are they intelligent?

[@Pedro_Le_Chef]

@@lo-firobotboy7112 Exactly. Just like humans used to decimate bisons in America and leave their carcass almost untouched so other little animals could profit from it.

[@toradora1439]

During the Narrative of this video and how he was conflicted about the actions of the Orca killing for sport, it made me think how an extraterrestrial would observe Human behavior and the thought process they might have in that observation. Im glad that they were objective enough to admit it in the end.

[@sarahmottramart]

Yes, imagine an objective observation on feedlock farms & slaughter houses. Industry of killing. child trafficing. Humans have the worst conduct

[@Hansulf]

And imagine if after that they also thought about them beeing the master of sport hunting.

[@barbm2375]

Well said, and I agree 1000%

[@deecurt]

Tora Dora what fucking Extraterrestrial? I need the name of that strain of gas you smoking

[@Krosis_]

@@sarahmottramart "Humans have the worst conduct" The worst conduct compared to what and according to whom?

[@ColumbiaB]

There are a number of predator animals that sometimes “play” with their prey without killing it, or kill prey without eating them (at least immediately). Cat species, and mustelid species, are other prominent examples. Behavioral ecologists speculate that there may be a survival advantage conferred by behaviors that give animals opportunities to practice their own predatory activities, or teach them to their young. Accordingly, some animals seem to have evolved so that the bond between their instinct to hunt and attack, and their urge to kill and eat, has become somewhat attenuated. It’s not become so loose that the animals fail to eat altogether, and thus starve to death, but it’s become loose enough that at times the predators don’t kill immediately, and thereby give themselves those opportunities to practice, or teach.

[@synbiosblade]

I have to imagine any successful hunter doesnt get that way strictly by survival hunting. Imagine if the only time you cooked food was when you were starving. Your capabilites would be diminished compared to practicing while well rested and fed. Or a better analogy is if football players only every played while it was during a televised game. There is even more merit to practicing the thing that literally keeps you alive. And no food ever goes to waste in the wild something will happily come along and finish off an easy meal.

[@Teekles]

I think they might also be using the young to taunt the parents into defending it and getting a bigger meal

[@rebeccanagawa3253]

There's this cat that used to bring us half dead birds and lizards in the house. Blood everywhere. I think he was gifting.

[@Salted_Fysh]

Ooooor... They could just enjoy doing it. To a predator a living being that reacts to your actions must be a fun toy. Remember that almost all of the species you named are explicitly species capable of engaging in games just for the sake of it. And I will bring it back to the point at the end. Humans as a predatory species are also able to enjoy killing for sport and taking their time with it. In fact a lot of people do even if they make up reasons to convince themselves otherwise because it's frowned upon in our society.

[@ColumbiaB]

@@Salted_Fysh - It is less likely that the capacity to enjoy that activity arose randomly and gratuitously as a trait widely found among individuals of a species, than that it was selected for, because it conferred advantages in survival and reproduction.

[@nxva8726]

🐋 1= "Some human is telling us we have disturbing behaviour" 🐋 2 = "That sounds human to me"

[@macpheemusic4294]

*Human proceeds to lock 🐋 1 in the equivalent of a concrete broom closet for the rest of it's short, depressed life and force it to do tricks for food.

[@nethravathidr]

The way you narrated this video, I could totally see lot of emotions. I can listen your content even without any video/pictures. Just amazing how naturally it comes out!

[@sphinxrising1129]

My parents took me to a rather large zoo when I was small, & after viewing all the animals, near the exit was a group of peep holes where you could look at some of the smaller animals in their natural habitat without being seen by the animals. The last peep hole was listed as the most dangerous animal in the world. When I looked in it, I seen a reflection of myself.

[@andersen6422]

I remember that. It was the Bronx zoo, no?

[@saintsataniko2116]

That's a great lesson.

[@ToniDelgadoAbellan]

how would you see a reflection of yourself if you were looking through a small peep hole?

[@sitcomchristian6886]

Geez. You were just a kid.

[@jordonjbmc9321]

Damn that’s deep

[@bettybunbun9664]

Given how leopard seals will play with penguins before killing them, I don't feel sorry when Orcas do the same.

[@saintsataniko2116]

This was fascinating. I've seen a lot of video of orca seemingly just killing for fun, the concept that they stringently compartmentalize everything, including teaching their young to hunt is interesting.

[@rachel8904]

Orcas are life long learners. They never stop even creating different ways to kill for the survival of the pod. The actual kill for food, the kill to teach the young, etc.Many animals besides humans are surplus killers. There are also quite a few that are not. They only kill for food. Sharks are part of that group. Whales too. All dolphins (besides Orcas) are surplus killers. Some countires have tried to ban house cats from going outside.Because they would kill birds, mice, etc. Anything they can grab. Just for the fun of it.

[@charlesmartin1121]

Some Bottlenose Dolphins also seem to kill for purposes other than predation.

[@tonybu7529]

“I bet you don’t dare get on the shore and snitch that seal.” “Hold my pufferfish.”

[@deancaleb1741]

Imagine being a sea lion and getting ganged up by predator and when you except to die, they bring in their weakest and youngest to play with you.

[@charles9571]

Sounds awful

[@FalconFastest123]

Killing for sport is not unusual in the animal kingdom. What is unusual is feeling bad about it. That is a uniquely human attribute.

[@biggusdickus1792]

Uhh, I don’t know what planet you live on, but killing for sport is extremely unusual in the animal kingdom. There’s examples of it, yes, but the vast majority don’t. Orcas are terrifying, I would rather be bleeding in open water with a great white than be next to an orca

[@funfun5656]

Very true…what I don’t understand is how our guilt is an evolutionary advantage. We literally guilt one another to the point of suicide and almost nobody feels bad about that but if I go out and shoot a buck and mount his rack on my door I’m the monster. Just because I killed him for sport doesn’t mean I didn’t keep the meat and distribute it amongst my friends and family…if these whales kill a sea lion something else will eat it

[@ch4z_bucks]

​@@funfun5656 to some extent guilt is an evolutionary advantage. It acts as a deterrent to prevent us from doing things that we think are wrong, such as killing other humans which would be detrimental to our survival. Overtime however because of changing mentalities, quality of life and mental illness what causes people to feel guilt has also changed.

[@e-ben616]

​@@funfun5656 as has been pointed out in other comments the more intelligent you are the more your capacity for a wider range of emotions and thoughts. Humans just happened to be the most intelligent. This means we dominated the earth and formed societies that allowed us the opportunity to explore those thoughts and emotions such as guilt. That's why it's unique. Other animals may exhibit this to a lesser extent and we may not find out.

[@Joppi1992]

@@ch4z_bucks It's kind of counterintuitive if evolution truly is king so to speak, with more intelligence, and then more awareness beyond what the human brain is best suited for (we're still primally tribalistic as a species), that more and more people sort of "break apart" on a mental level, and societies face more and more instability because pretty much nothing works for everyone when it comes to social constructs.

[@nakayumoto2697]

Thank you for this eye-opening video. It's so educational and informative. I need a whole series of this team's work.

[@Rolandais]

I feel like, when people go "Why would any Animal do X?" the first question should be. "Why would I do X?" Because, like other animals, we do things for reasons other than food.

[@ullyssessilverio5923]

People forgot we're literally just another animal.

[@WildlifeThroughLens]

Orcas are highly intelligent, social and ferocious predators. Incredible creatures 💙

[@user-fw2wg6rk6l]

they're not ferocious. sharks are ferocious. orcas are sick and twisted, like serial killers.

[@Salty0]

@@Park-vq1gn that's as anthropocentric as it gets

[@mnomadvfx]

@@Park-vq1gn Is it really bullying though? If they were doing it to each other in the wild you could say as much - but as far as I am aware they only do this in captivity, and usually simply because the idiot water park managers mix and match the orcas that have been raised separately, which is as good as throwing complete strangers in prison together and hoping that they wont tear each other to pieces without guards capable of stopping them. Orca probably do not see it as bullying or cruel when it is not their own kind though. The fact that they seem to be somewhere between playful and curious with humans in the wild only goes to show that we are simply outside their natural order - they do not see us as food clearly, and the curiosity likely stems from our non native appearance in and around the water.

[@0111mango]

I hate them now

[@LarryWater]

Any animals can be a bully.

[@adriannalundasan7570]

He sugarcoated it with the human cruelty in the end. I respect that.

[@prshntkumar0000]

He asked us not to make orca a villain.

[@WestMountainWolf]

I really loved the honesty of this man, great video.

[@Jdubayou]

Being in a kayak in waters filled with Orcas takes balls of steel.

[@victor.hausen]

narrator: do not project your moral values on animals also narrator: projects moral values on animals

[@awepossum1059]

Either orcas are good and humans are good, or orcas are bad and humans are bad. There's no other way to look at it.

[@OceanSwimmer]

Victor Hausen -- agree 100%. The narrator is a PHOTOGRAPHER, not a marine biologist. Primates kill other primates, which even Jane Goodall was very reluctant to report. Like you said, projecting human values onto other life forms is silly. And irrelevant.

[@charliecrome207]

Humans and ocras are neither good nor bad because good and bad are imagined concepts.

[@theinfernoburns]

@@charliecrome207 ho ho! You're conflating subjective values with objective ones. Right and wrong depend on perspective. It is objectively "evil" to murder a mother of four, if you're looking to see how you can justify that, that will only contradict your opinion that good and bad are imaginary because you're using pre-established "rules" of morality, i.e "the mother deserved to die because she killed a person in her youth".

[@bern9642]

@@awepossum1059 lions also kill animals they don't eat. so does leopards, hyenas, and almost all predators. sometimes, they do it for practice, to teach the young, or just to control population

[@FatherManus]

This is why I love Orcas. They are just like us. Intelligent, powerful, playful, and sometimes cruel.

[@defnot.emily_]

Killers*

[@PureLovable]

No not at all lol, they're just teaching their young lmao, nature is way more mature than humans are.

[@jht3fougifh393]

@@PureLovable You have no proof that they are somehow morally above humans. The reality is, all animals can be cruel. Intelligence lends to this. Hence, smarter creatures seem more neurotic and evil in their violent actions. It's silly to demonize humans as somehow unique in this sense (or in any sense, honestly - we aren't so special in 99% of cases).

[@0ihatetrolls01]

Loving something because it's cruel is a weird take

[@justsaying6341]

@@0ihatetrolls01 I think you misunderstood. the cruelness is merely one part of what makes them so similar to us, the similarity being the reason behind op‘s liking of them

[@laurapei420]

Thanks for this very cool video! I always found this kind of behavior off-putting, because it struck me as cruel as well. But the video got me thinking and it's really not any different from what an average housecat will do to any bug unfortunate enough to cross its path.

[@annejones8777]

Most fascinating video I've watched. Thank you

[@grimeto7323]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that in the cases where we find intelligence, we also find cruelty... I wonder if the two are related.

[@invaderjoshua6280]

I mean yes they are. In order to process the thoughts of doing something not based on an in built instinct you need higher intelligence. The smarter the species the more they can seperate wants and needs into seperate thoughts.

[@LarryWater]

Jellyfish are cruel.

[@KD-sz5bx]

@@invaderjoshua6280 Correlation does not imply causation.

[@UUMRSN]

Is it cruel when u eat also ? Wether it’s meat or veggies it was alive

[@nmarbletoe8210]

what was the IQ of the comet that hit Chicxulub Crater?

[@moanamaree]

Glad you’re still out journeying with nature and the wildlife Steve. Your growth throughout the years is tremendous 🌻

[@user-th2cp8uh8r]

The fascinating thing about these animals is that it recognizes that it isn't the apex predator. They taught their young pretty well that humans are the most dangerous and that they know that if they attack human, humans will see them as a threat. Surprisingly, orcas don't hold a grudge on the whole species when attacked but instead, they remember that single individual and they know that humans are different from each other.

[@trvth1s]

All vertebrates are like that. I had a frog and a bird scared of other people but not scared of me. Orcas inherited the oceans so it's their turn to rule the blues. They still avoid adult bull sperm whales for whatever reason. The bull sperm whales are far larger than the females and are very aggressive so maybe that is the reason, or maybe it's genetic ptsd from when the mighty levyiatan [sperm whales cousin] and the mighty megaladons hunted orcas.

[@charlesmartin1121]

Well said. What the Orca loving doofuses commenting on this video don't understand is if humankind chose to make it a priority, we could wipe-out Killer Whales world wide in a short span of time. They are not deep divers and can be easily tracked on sonar. Then corraled just as the aquarium trade used to do, and finished off. I would never want to see that happen, but I am just fed-up with idiots who think Orcas are some kind super animal that can sink a navy destroyer with a few bites.

[@sudokuacrobatics]

@@trvth1s same situation like you but inverted

[@forallthestupidshit3550]

You did exactly what the guy speaking said was a mistake, in that you anthropomorphised their behavior. Orcas have been known to save humans in the wild. They do not fear humans, nor are humans "apex predators." Guns, maybe. But not humans.

[@Goldstone93]

“Ye may kill for yourselves, and your mates, and your cubs as they need, and ye can; But kill not for pleasure of killing, and seven times never kill Man!”

[@cedarmanagement2343]

Thank you very much, this is very educational. Please continue with your great work.

[@atultripathi8014]

Being at the difficult place & providing us a deep knowledge of they interact & act together, is out of our league. Glad watching very meaningful & realising how life is important. Great work ❤️

[@sergiokaminotanjo]

ok boomer

[@mokarokas-1727]

@@sergiokaminotanjo - You don't know how to meme.

[@sergiokaminotanjo]

@@mokarokas-1727 ok boomer

[@mokarokas-1727]

@@sergiokaminotanjo - You don't know how to meme.

[@sergiokaminotanjo]

@@mokarokas-1727 NO U ;)

[@WingedDynamite]

What's mind boggling is the fact that wild orca don't seem to attack humans. Ever. (Unless someone can find and source an orca attack on a human in the wild)

[@blakeestes]

"So then they're perfect for our exhibits!" -SeaWorld

[@TheSquirrelbeast]

I think we taste awful to them

[@mr.sudbury3856]

Maybe they have killed humans in wild, but there were witnesess 🤔

[@JiantJames]

@@TheSquirrelbeast i'd imagine we're mostly attacked when wearing full black dive suits and gear which would taste awful. naked people would probably taste ok though tbh since orcas are fine with eating other mammals.

[@blucat4]

Yes it's an amazing thing, they see us and do not attack us. Who knows what they are thinking? I would love to know.

[@Lotschi]

What an excellent video! Thank you.

[@ecor17]

What a fantastic way of explanation

[@nathansharma87]

There's a video in Patagonia where grandma Orca is left with two baby Orca's and she takes them to the bay where they breach for seals. She used a clump of seaweed or kelp and brought it up to the sand, then sat in the swell timing the waves and breached catching the seaweed. She then brought the seaweed out further away from the beach but still close and the babies had turns with grandma next to them breaching and catching the seaweed. She brought the seaweed closer and closer until it was on the beach again but this time the baby male was too scared so they left. It's all training, I've also watched another video where different pods who hunt differently usually will teach each other how to catch their local prey and help each other out.

[@ChicagoScorpion]

That's amazing

[@p5eudo883]

@@paddor If you're going to point out the error, at least provide the correction. That way you'd be doing something helpful, rather than looking like a jackass who gets off on pointing out small mistakes others make.

[@spicyshizz2850]

“It’s all training” the anime is still killed tho..

[@nmarbletoe8210]

wow!!! the mom is using multimedia to demonstrate job skills. home schooling A+

[@strauss7151]

Its Beaching, not breaching. It's called that because they come and lay on the beach to catch prey.

[@jamesdooling4139]

An amazing understanding of nature is presented here.

[@13thravenpurple94]

Great work 🥳 Thank you 💜

[@labreeskalies3546]

I had just made a comment to my husband that we were the only species on the planet that killed for sport and not just food. And lo and behold not five minutes later scrolling through KZbin I come across this video and was proved completely wrong. Firstly I want to say that I really appreciate the hard work and everything that you guys have done tonight just a short video. It's such a learning experience and extremely valuable knowledge I feel in our quest as human beings to learn about the other species on the planet. It is absolutely insane to me that Orcas do such , for lack of a better term, cruel and evil-type of actions!!!! I've been fascinated by Killer Whales for years and so much has come out about them , doing things ( like precision surgery to Great Whites for their livers!!) We as humans , didn't think even POSSIBLE for animals to do!! This was a GREAT video and I thank u for sharing with the world such fascinating things!!

[@jewelbowen2714]

What a mysterious world we inhabit. Thanks to BBC for many invaluable lessons learnt

[@bridge4]

superb segment. food for thought, no pun intended. thanks as always

[@MermaidMama360]

Brilliant video and no false info provieded.

[@machomb]

Dolphins in general mostly all do surplus killing, sometimes just for fun it seems. They also use food to bait prey. It's pretty amazing how intelligent they are.

[@NightShadow720]

Orcas really do live up to their alternate names of killer whales. Although, they are technically the biggest members of the dolphin family. 🐋 🐬

[@Simon-jw1ww]

and the dolphin family is part of the whales. So it's right isn't it?

[@DemoWarlock]

@@Simon-jw1ww yep dolphins are just toothed whales

[@BullShitThat]

"killer whales"... because they are KILLERS of whales. They're dolphins who like to prey on whales, but by being a dolphin family, they are also a sub-family of the toothed whale taxonomy

[@johnanthonyp]

@@BullShitThat Yes. The term 'killer of whales' was an epithet first attributed to them by sailors and whalers of old following observation of that very behaviour. It became condensed over time hence the more recent confusing moniker.

[@Querencia7779]

@@Simon-jw1ww same family, different species.

[@lestat6789]

Excellent point made. For us humans we can make the choice whether or not to indulge in uneccesary cruelty we are very privileged to have that choice

[@lunarfaerie8552]

We’re privileged to be able to choose whether we indulge in unnecessary cruelty?! I find the use of the word privileged to be a strange choice. The word is most often applied to a reward system. To be privileged is to have attained some benefit. I can’t see unnecessary cruelty in this way. These Orca were choosing to teach their young how to survive and thrive by inflicting cruelty upon a different species who are ultimately prey to them. Man no longer needs to teach its young how to survive in the same way, therefore killing prey animals is done for sport and entertainment. Is it any wonder then that humans started killing other humans? Not out of any other reason than a difference of opinion! We don’t share another’s religion, we have massive stockpiles of food whilst elsewhere people are starving, we wage war to steal land and make others bow to our rule. I’m sorry but I don’t count myself as privileged to be human when man mercilessly kills his fellow man.

[@ch4z_bucks]

If cruelty is unnecessary then surely it is a choice to indulge in it? Ergo the orcas also have the choice to indulge in unnecessary cruelty.

[@charlesmartin1121]

Unbelievable. I am reading comments saying Orca are as intelligent as humans, but unlike us they are not 'priviledged' to choose not to do unnecessary cruelty. So why do they get a pass and humans don't?

[@A1Kira]

Orca's have that same ability... they interact with humans just fine in the wild so they obviously pick and choose when to get violent. Orca's have a very high IQ for animals, its odd how sometimes its "animals are smarter than we think" then its some bs like your comment.

[@-el_bandito]

@charlesmartin1121 libtards can’t wag their finger at orcas. If we had a translator for orca language I’m sure they would

[@doomsday3455]

It always amazes me that when we humans see our own behaviour in other species, we're horrified. Its almost like the orca are trying to teach us something.

[@mymy820]

The discount is real. So sad. :(

[@SuperChavon]

They're not trying to teach us something they're just jerks

[@SuperChavon]

And almost everyone already knows murder is horrible

[@MemoMemo-xm3mw]

pretty weird how you called them jerks and how he is calling the act very cruel and uncomfortable to watch when we as humans have been doing something far worse. you know its not because of orcas that so many animals are going extinct and whatnot horrible things are happening to the entire ecosystem

[@Polo22546]

THIS!!

[@ericbruscoe5956]

I'm not sure who that man is but I thoroughly enjoyed that..thank you for your hard work and dedication to your craft to be able to bring such informative entertainment to the masses...

[@whaletale4086]

Thank you for the efforts you put to deliver this material. We know so little about the life of whales. Thanks to such expeditions as yours we discover more and more interesting features of whales behavior.

[@invaderjoshua6280]

Dolphins.

[@whaletale4086]

@Quack 😅

[@emmariley5514]

It makes me laugh, we muddle ourselves over the terms; orca are dolphins , some cetaceans are dolphins, some are whales and at the top of it all, all cetaceans are whales 😅

[@ShiningGalaxy01]

@@whaletale4086 Orcas are dolphins, not whales.

[@KingTrunkzdbz]

They are so intelligent they can grasp death for food and playing with an animal for instruction to there off spring. Truly a brilliant animal, the best of the seas and oceans are Orcas.

[@tranquilrabies]

This guy is an amazing storyteller!

[@garyezard7512]

Well put

[@user-xw1zs7ed2w]

I think the initial shock and horror of learning such things is just another reminder of our constant, unconscious anthropocentric judgements - from right or wrong to cute or ugly. All we can do is to learn to respect and protect nature as is, not as some rose-tinted “cute” or “good” version of our making.

[@Knappa22]

The dead seal / sealion would end up being calories for some creature. Nothing in nature goes to waste.

[@alejandrob.4961]

what? you can say the same thing for any killing on this planet

[@Knappa22]

@@alejandrob.4961 Yes. It’s the circle of life. The presenter seemed astonished that the sealion was not going to end up ‘as precious calories’ for the whales. Well so what? It’ll be precious calories for a scavenger or other marine animals.

[@alejandrob.4961]

@@Knappa22 but if you can apply a category for all things then the category lose is meaning; it would be ok if I kill 1000 elephants and rhinos because flies, worms and other insects and animals could eat those corpses?

[@Knappa22]

@@alejandrob.4961 No because you are a human being, with a conscience and an awareness of concepts like extinction etc. A whale doesn’t.

[@alejandrob.4961]

@@Knappa22 excuses, both humans are other intelligent mammals are creations of nature, if we are bad and evil they are too when they do shitty things

[@olgowska666]

I never judge a nature. Orcas are intelligent and their intelligence is actually scary. Beautiful shoots.

[@tvaldez108]

Nothing like watching a video of a guy talking about Orcas.

[@simmek4575]

Why not show these events if you were there filming it, instead of these generic shots of Orcas?? I really don't get it

[@davidsmith8997]

Those whales that find it enjoyable practice it and engage in it more often, becoming better killers and thereby more effectively passing their genes into future generations. Thus the question of whether it's immediately adaptive (e.g., training the young) versus a by-product of adaptation (e.g., enjoying hunting) is somewhat trivial. The fact that animal predators enjoy hunting should not be a surprising fact other than to those who believe that such amoral feelings only exist in humans.

[@ang.etrav747]

Actually they are dolphins

[@joachimwalle3760]

@@ang.etrav747 Potato potato.

[@flowerwht]

I believe cats hunt for fun as well

[@strangenuts]

@@flowerwht so do birds. Killing for leisure is a common occurrence in nature but is not palatable on most nature documentaries.

[@djfebrezee]

@@ang.etrav747 You know all dolphins are toothed whales, right? Calling them whales is not incorrect.

[@jackieholmes8098]

Very interesting video‼️. Thank you.

[@hoi-polloi1863]

I've found that when teaching my own young, they don't learn well when they're hungry. I wonder if the orcas picked up on the same idea.

[@redoktober8164]

Orcas are so good hunters that they often have so much food left untouched after a hunt, they won’t just consider other animals as prey, they will also consider them as toys, they are just such great hunters that food and toys are the same thing to them, they don’t kill because they are desperate, they kill because it’s fun

[@blucat4]

Maybe they kill for the 'life energy', and when that's extinguished they leave the dead body. Serious. The ones that hunt on the beach are becoming a different species to the ones that don't, the first 'soul-eating' Orcas. Or life-energy eating.

[@taniredmi321]

Orcas are serial killers 🤣🤣🤣

[@indexwarrior6100]

it's "awful" when orcas do it, but when human hunters do the same thing for sport it's "normal"

[@rhetoric5173]

They do it for education. They even do it with seagrass. Orcas can get permanently beached.

[@902-Mac]

I don’t think anyone believes what the orcas are doing is awful

[@mosterchife6045]

No????? 90% of hunters despise the jerks who go to Africa and hunt things for sport, not to mention the shitloads of non-hunters hating it too. Most hunters eat what they kill. Very few people in modern society call sport hunting normal or ethical.

[@orange_cat]

I'd go with the opposite of everything you said. Are you from Commiefornia? Orcas are supposed to do this, by nature. We humans should not hunt for sport, only for food. Or in my case, if there are wasps, noisy mockingbirds, mosquitoes, houseflies, or grackles. Everybody else gets to live.

[@techelitesareadisease8816]

I've never known a hunter in my life who would torture an animal and prolong its death. Efficient and quick deaths are the norm and what is practiced.

[@newman824]

WOW! This song is undefeated ❤❤

[@danrobert7241]

The mental contortions people go through to minimize the simple fact that animals can be cruel. Turns out humans didn't invent cruelty either.

[@sagittariusbeauty]

This is why I'm terrified of these things

[@FatherManus]

They don’t view humans as food. And they know we are intelligent. That’s why there is no recorded human death in the wild from an Orca. They even kill Great White Sharks for their livers!

[@Ki_Adi_Mundi]

There is not a single account of any Orca killing a human. Except in captivity. You _should_ be terrified of Sea World...

[@maruchan458]

Same

[@EvaFuji]

they are harmless there are people who swim with them in the wild

[@Shaden0040]

Orcas play with their food to teach the young how to humt same way we play with our children to teach themto walk, grab and talk.

[@ChasehaWing]

Actually nah. Usually it's adults who indulge in this behavior. They just like to play with their food. They also have been known to kill prey but only eat specific parts and leave the rest of the carcass. For example: Shark liver and baby sperm whale tongue. This earned them another nickname: the gourmets of the sea.

[@mokarokas-1727]

@@ChasehaWing - Maybe there's a problem with eating them, like how cats will leave certain organs of a mouse's body on instinct. Anyway, in this instance it seemed to be an exercise in survival against a rival species (which is a threat to their young).

[@strangenuts]

@@mokarokas-1727 No they just like the liver and tongue the best. It just doesn't sit right with people that an animal could be wasteful.

[@williamthelonelywasp4842]

@Sigrid KaagI agree like how I only eat Bacon from pigs, brisket/beef from cows, and wings, legs, and thighs from chickens/turkeys. The rest goes somewhere else and I also read they eat it because it taste good but mainly it provides the most protein too.

[@agustindetlefsen6944]

Excellent video

[@lavarball61]

Mom: don't play with your food Orca: hold my fins

[@twinflowerfioretta]

Thank you! Steve Backshall is phenomenal, very interesting docu.! its always great to get more knowledge about animals and their behavor - until now i loved the Movie "Free Willy" 💕 Orcas are stunning, they are alpha predators and have the best killing strategie in groups. they can kill big white Sharks !

[@A1Kira]

Smart animals like them are just like us. Dolphins do terrible things as well, sometimes to each other. Just goes to show that our cruelty probably comes from nature, as does theirs.

[@carolmartin3535]

Thank you for this commentary i have been a huge orca lover since a very young child and their behavior is truly their behavior and we need to leave it at that. They are constantly having to adjust and adapt to their worlds. So bravo!!!❤

[@K4n01]

For a species that not only "kills" for food, but also enjoys capturing animals to keep them in captivity, humans are a species that feels quite empowered to make moral judgments about cruelty.

[@Music-lx1tf]

What's it like to encounter an animal that's actually smarter than you within its own environment

[@Smasho8000]

Well, even if they don't eat the animal being killed, something else will come along and eat it, so it doesn't go completely to waste.

[@science4life486]

Well said sir.

[@jenniferbailey2214]

Well put ending👏👏👏

[@robertabray-enhus3198]

They’re highly intelligent and of course they need to teach their young how to survive.. Even though the females remain with the pods their whole lives, they still need to learn how to function. They’re called the “wolves of the sea”,as they hunt as a pack. What exactly they were doing with the seal was odd. I think they were showing their youngsters how to hunt,and tire out your pray. Yet they didn’t eat it in the end. As they function as a group,they hunt as a group for bigger prey that will feed the whole pod. Their usual prey are small whales and whale calves, larger sharks, and elephant seals.

[@wildrose5554]

That’s what I was going to say when he said, what animal goes through all that trouble and then doesn’t even eat it? I was thinking… cats and people who hunt (who do it as an activity other than supplying food). Then at the end he reached that conclusion. Minus the cat part.

[@frederickmoore5298]

I don’t understand how they said they were out there for so long and has this very detailed narration but don’t have video that shows any of it

[@griffinoluoch7804]

The orca PR team cannot recover from this

[@1life_Only]

What an incredible intelligent animal the entire whale family is. Events like these get me thinking how complex life is in this universe and we humans are so negligible yet we tend to think our being on this planet is the most important thing that has no end.

[@olliec1429]

Technically it’s not a whale

[@CJ-eg4ok]

orcas aren't whales lol

[@mokarokas-1727]

@@CJ-eg4ok - Orcas are absolutely a form of whale, just like dolphins.

[@ch4z_bucks]

​@@mokarokas-1727 no. Dolphins and whales are 2 different species, that's like saying octopus are a form of squid or vice versa.

[@mokarokas-1727]

@@ch4z_bucks - "No." Dolphin is not a single species, and neither is whale. In the formal sense, dolphins belong to the whale family. You can look up the classification.

[@Tout-Le-Monde02]

Orcas are intelligent enough to never go for human kills since they know they might get wiped out ..... that's intelligence at a completely groundbreaking level ...... how they were playing with the humans in their kayaks and then suddenly became predatory for a seal ..... unbelievable .....

[@nmarbletoe8210]

Seriously, that shows a very high level of intelligence and cultural memory.

[@Pedro_Le_Chef]

Not true at all. You have zero evidence for that and there's no correlation between human predation and the species being hunt by humans. Blue Whales never hunted humans and look how we almost drove them to extinction. Orcas killing humans wouldn't really change anything when it comes to their survival.

[@anthonysturt8406]

The very first thing out of this guys mouth is that he thinks it's a mistake to compare humans to orcas, followed by a rant about how cruel they are to kill animals and not eat them and then finishes by stating that humans are the worst offenders in that regard, seemingly contradicting his first point.

[@k.vn.k]

Legend says Orca is the warrior of the sea with extremely highly intelligent and complex language. They know human have helped many Orcas in the past, like those that stranded on the beach. In return they will protect human if there were sharks or other dangerous animals around.

[@AbdulRahmanKhan]

Yes truly we, human being are masters of killing surplus.

[@Monaleenian]

We're the masters of the energy surplus

[@Autists-Guide]

0:12 "... and that is, I think, a mistake." No, it's not. It's giving us an insight into human programming. We have a brain-app that facilitates empathy. We can anthropomorphise. We also anthropomorphise anthropoids. We anthropomorphise ourselves.

[@felixloveseat]

Good lesson, thanks

[@Sills71]

If the Orcas ever get together and decide to extract revenge for Sea World, humans will never be able to enter the ocean again.

[@harpermarmont9035]

They are highly intelligent and complex creatures. They have developed their own patterns depending on the areas they live in. Their structure in matrilines and pods (extended families) shows how the family bond is necessary for them to survive. Transmitting and teaching are key (hunting needs teaching). We should take them as an example. That would make our lives in society much nicer.

[@LarryWater]

We humans also live in families and have close ties.

[@Ribsi]

That is literally how we function as a species, what do you mean?

[@ch4z_bucks]

​@@Ribsi just more self loathing talk really. Find them a lot in nature doc comments sections where people in an attempt to sound higher up morally or more intelligent than others will bash on humans or make some ridiculous comparison.

[@charlesmartin1121]

Yeah if only we humans were capable of 'transmitting and teaching.' Duh.

[@robbnoble1509]

I'm not 100% on board with this guy's last statement regarding hunting for sport. Yes, there are people who hunt for sport, but even in the vast majority of these cases, they still haul in the kill and either process the meat themselves or have it processed somewhere. And even in places where hunting is very common, it is still a small subset of people who actually go hunting. I grew up in rural indiana and would estimate far less than 5% of people hunted once a year or more, even less than that actually making a kill. Trophies are usually made of heads, antlers, or skins because the rest of the body is being used for meat. Now there is a small subset of hunters who chase big game in a "predator vs predator" or "man vs beast" kind of thing. They will usually have the entire animal taxidermied, but these guys are far and few between, and only make up a tiny fraction of the hunting population. This of course is only speaking of modern day. In the olden days we used to kill for food, materials, and defense. I don't understand why people constantly try to demonize us as a species. Yes, own up to the things we actually did wrong like polluting the planet, or our involvement in deforestation, but you're talking about a tiny fraction of a tiny fraction of the human population here, and you're going to put that blame on the entire species? By no means could that behavior be considered commonplace amongst humans.

[@carlosoliveira-rc2xt]

This video is typical of the BS narrative whereas no species is worse than the horrible, wasteful cruel humans. Nothing is more cruel than wild nature!

[@Topway2]

tiny fraction? I dont know if you realize but just our consumption, most forms of packaging we use among a plethora of other things end up polluting the most critical ressources we have (Oceans, forests and the fauna and flora that provide us with all nutrients we need) and thereby killing an unkown number of lifeforms. I'm not a hardcore activist or anything however if you look at how our impact on earth's environement went into crescendo mode in less than a millenia, you can't help but go damn!! And if you think killing for sports and not consuming is what would "demonize" us, you're greatly mistaken. Humans have done, are doing and will keep on doing horrible things to the very ecosystem that allows us to live and "evolve" the way we do and one of the driving factors behind that is the cluelessness of each of us individuals regarding the daily habits and commodities we got used to and the price we are and will be paying for them. Ofc all I said would need data to back up the context of my answer but hey this is a youtube comment lmao, but I hope people will try to at least research this subject a bit even if it's in the hope of saying i'm wrong and just an alarmist.

[@robbnoble1509]

@@Topway2 Not what I was talking about. My comment was purely regarding hunting/killing for sport, which was in reference to the claim the guy made in the video. I even mentioned owning up to pollution and deforestation in my comment.

[@Topway2]

@@robbnoble1509 I was basically answering your question on why put the blame on the entire species but i get your point and as i said hunting for sport is indeed not enough for that.

[@robbnoble1509]

@@Topway2 Ah, reading back I see how I miscommunicated that. Indeed we do deserve the blame for harming the environment as a whole. The glove just didn't fit on this very specific issue.

[@klj2382]

my dog digs up gophers, plays around and eventually kills it but doesn’t eat it

[@russellmoore1533]

Foxes are some of the worst thrill killers I know. As a poultry farmer I had first hand knowledge of how they would break into a poultry shed and kill hundreds of chickens, and then just eat a few of the birds.

[@mrmaphousa4349]

It's called nature. Plenty of animals will kill for reasons other than food. Watching Orcas take down large prey is an awesome display for sure. Its certainly not a sight for the faint of heart.

[@angeninetytwo]

I think he’s kinda humanizing orcas when he just goes with a kayak into the water and thinks they won’t see him as the next toy to play with 😅

[@abdulmoid267]

Though I agree with you that it's dangerous but orcas don't really attack humans in the wild for some reason

[@dangkhang9479]

Ironic, human calling it weird when they see other animal killing for sport.

[@jhyrumgrant]

I love how he turns it around and suddenly, humans are worse. You gotta love those generalizations.

[@Ki_Adi_Mundi]

The people who anthropomorphize these things to the point where they call them "Bad Natured" for being exactly what they're supposed to be seem like the same kind of people who anthropomorphize bears while completely ignoring the brutal things they do sometimes as well. Ignorant.

[@Killerwhale760]

Almost all nature documentaries are like that

[@johnwayne6647]

It’s really cool to see the orcas behavior especially like this one with teaching youngsters how to hunt .Although it does leave carcasses that’s food for other animals to eat

[@MissBlueEyeliner]

Great point! That’s the way I see it when my cat catches small prey. Some people bury their “gifts” but I leave them for the other little animals who might be in need of a meal.

[@jessH090]

What he said about compartmentalising their lives was incredibly interesting.

[@matchaqueen6541]

They're so beautiful!!

[@strartur]

I've seen the aftermath of a wolves pack attacking a sheep herd in a fenced spot at night. Sheep were apparently panicking, broke the gate and ran out. we found the next day about 20 of them killed (throat bites and/or disemboweled) an only one half-eaten. Some sheep alive had massive bite wounds in various places. One shepherd's dog was severely injured and died later. The other dog had manageable wounds. Talking the joy and rage of killing. Or put it nicely: surplus killing.

[@nmarbletoe8210]

well that's a pickle. ouch! but rage, idk. i watch my cats and they don't hate the mouse, they love the mouse... too much for the mouses' good. the wolves probably were more happy and psycho than angry and psycho. like a food fight, a feeding frenzy except when it came to the dog, they were probably angry at the dog

[@strartur]

@Sigrid Kaag wolves in central Asian steppes, as a matter of fact thousands of their generations, know very well sheep. The "semi-zoo" predator situation in the Netherlands, or even Germany, is not comparable. I thoroughly enjoy the attitude in western postmodern societies to humanize animals and to excuse and to justify "animalistic" behavior )))

[@DolleHengst]

Same story with a fox in a chicken coop. After it kills the first chicken, the wing flapping and movements of the other chickens will continuously trigger its killing instinct until all the chickens are dead.

[@shlingusdingus4174]

I've been watching documentaries and shorts like these my entire life. I'm no wildlife scientist or a zoologist by any means, but I've had enough experience and reference to come to a sort of conclusion when it comes to nature. Whether we know the reason for things or not, everything in nature is done with a purpose.

[@shlingusdingus4174]

@@paddor Did you.. read my comment? It's at the end.

[@strangenuts]

even the purpose of having fun.

[@bob6383]

This lad is no Attenborough... BBC you need to raise the bar, this boy is sub standard

[@victoriagolden7818]

What differs is that the Orca isn't killing for sport, they are killing to teach and train.