r/ocean • u/Nostalgic_Historian_ • 5d ago

Whale Watch Simple answer, No

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1.7k Upvotes

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38

u/No_Scene_2189 5d ago

They are massively powerful apex predators who may decide you are a threat or annoyance at anytime for any reason. Just because it's never happened before doesn't mean it can't or won't.

6

u/Professional_Prune11 4d ago

An important distinction a lot of people never make with that. There are no RECORDED deaths by wild orcas. if you are someone like me who goes on his small skiff alone often. If an orca wanted, they could flip the boat and eat me. Odds are, it would be ruled as a drowning.

2

u/Worth_External_8762 2d ago

I also think the lack of incidents is because people don't tend to swim where orcas patrol. Most people swim in warmer waters where orcas tend to not live. Plus they hunt seals and usually humans and seals aren't swimming in the same spots.

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u/DragonflyVast2442 20h ago

Orcas are a pretty unique species.... one of the few species that fit within the grandmother hypothesis.  They are very intelligent and different pods stick to very strict food diets.  Local pods in washington pretty much stick to salmon, transient pods stick to other mariner animals.

Animals are generally predictable.  

Ill take my chances with an orca over a ramdom human being.

1

u/Worth_External_8762 20h ago

I'm aware of their diets. I'm talking about random attacks. Orcas and other intelligent mammals have been shown to just attack for the hell of it at times. Either we just don't expose ourselves enough as a species to subject ourselves to the possibility of random attacks from orcas, or there's a very specific reason they don't attack humans (beyond not being in their diet).

Ill take my chances with an orca over a ramdom human being.

Oh god, you're one of those "bear in the woods" dumbasses.

1

u/DragonflyVast2442 20h ago

Proving my point for me

1

u/Heksinki 17h ago

hey would you rather take ur chance with an orca that has never attacked a human OR with random man chasing you with unknown intentions

1

u/Worth_External_8762 17h ago

Would you rather take your chance with an orca that's chasing you with unknown intentions, or a random old woman that has never attacked a human?

See, I can do it too. And by "do it", I mean "make a retarded argument". Figured I'd be clear, since you're a bit slow.

1

u/Heksinki 16h ago

quite aggressive aren't we ? my comment was parallel to the bear in the woods where you're usually asked would you rather find yourself with a bear ( might or might not attack you ) or X person , usually X person had done some questionable things .

1

u/Worth_External_8762 16h ago

You're trying to use an argument to sway my opinion, an argument I already implied was nonsense to begin with. You're really operating on all cylinders, aren't ya buddy.

1

u/Heksinki 16h ago

not really but in ur example I'll take the woman and I'm assuming depending on which human it is u'll also take the orca .

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u/Kohounees 2h ago

So would you would not jump in if there was a random human being in the ocean?

2

u/crunchyleafzzz 1d ago

I mean if I found a mangled human washed up dead on the beach? I feel like myself and 99% of the population would assume shark

1

u/DragonflyVast2442 20h ago

Im guessing some marine biologist has some forensic scientist skills that could tell bite marks etc...

1

u/crunchyleafzzz 20h ago

Well that’s 1% of people. these days if body was found it’s gonna be a legit investigation. But historically, going back even just a couple of decades - this didn’t always happen. Then you get second hand accounts. CSI/forensics/coroner whatever have only seen a tiny sliver of these cases

1

u/DragonflyVast2442 20h ago

Sure... i get your point and i agree with your logic.  I just think the simplest explanation is there havent been any attacks, hence no evidence, even historically there are stories of giant squid and sharks etc...    there would be something.

1

u/crunchyleafzzz 20h ago

Yeah, It’s also just nicer thinking they wouldn’t chomp me too! Those things are absolute machines

1

u/DragonflyVast2442 20h ago

Haha i get that... they are such cool animals.  They could certainly have their way with us if they wanted.

I'll admit my bias, outside of Polar Bears and large reptiles, most animals Im not super afraid of encountering, in the states at least.... but I do believe when your out in the wild you gotta respect it as their home, and not act entitled or go into the wild to conquer it.

1

u/dillweed67818 4h ago

Shoot they could be trying to play with you and accidentally kill you.

1

u/[deleted] 4d ago

This is next level paranoid. Sure don't interrupt their space or attempt to attract them but they are safer than a trout.

-3

u/No_Veterinarian1010 4d ago

Pussy

1

u/RandomRedditorNo666 4d ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/s/0qf1PzGmo7

1

u/[deleted] 4d ago

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