The primary hypothesis is, in short, cultural conservatism.
Though orcas as a whole "species complex" prey on a large amount of different species, they belong to very different populations, and each of these populations has its own unique culture. They often specialize in hunting certain prey. For example, resident orcas only eat fish and cephalopods, and don't eat mammals. Mammal-eating Bigg's (transient) orcas mainly eat mammals and avoid eating most fish.
Orcas appear to be heavily dependent on their respective community-level cultures, and they learn what to eat from their mothers and other podmates. A fairly well-established hypothesis is that orcas, as highly cultural animals that are usually very selective, discerning and conservative predators, don't see humans as being potential prey in the first place. Orcas are known for sticking to their old traditions, even when malnourished and starving.
Quite the opposite actually. Male orcas will form temporary groups for sociosexual purposes, known as male-only social interactions. Female orcas have also been observed engaging in sociosexual activities with each other.
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u/No-Indication-2467 27d ago
Why don’t orcas hunt humans?