Orca Encounters and How to Stay Safe When Swimming in the Ocean

Many people refer to orcas as “killer whales“, and for good reason. They are the ultimate top dogs of the ocean, able to take down large whales and even great white sharks! But what about humans — what would you do if you encountered an orca while swimming in the ocean?

Do Orcas Attack Humans?

There are very few documented cases of orcas attacking humans in the wild, and these interactions are extremely rare and not well understood. True, you may have heard about whales ramming into boats recently, but those orcas were going after the boats, not the people inside. The whales swam away and never attempted to even interact with the humans on board. There was also a news story back in 1996 about an orca attacking a surfer, but it has since been proven wrong as the bite patterns did not match orca teeth.

Things can be a bit different when orcas are kept in captivity. There have been a handful of attacks on people, and some have even died. However, experts still aren’t sure why the captive orcas attacked, and many still debate if that was the whales’ intent. It’s possible that the orcas were excessively bored or stressed and began playing more aggressively. They may even have been experiencing psychosis from being trapped in their small tanks for far too long. It’s hard to say if the orcas actually meant to kill or even harm their human handlers during the encounter.

With their size, speed, and intelligence, orcas could easily hunt humans if they wanted to. However, humans simply aren’t on the menu for orcas. Perhaps we aren’t as fat-rich as their usual prey, or maybe we simply aren’t as tasty. It’s possible the whales’ high levels of emotional intelligence allow them to read human behavior, much like dolphins have done with their human trainers.

More likely, however, it may just be part of the whales’ way of life. Everything an orca does comes from knowledge passed down from one generation to the next, including what animals to eat and how to behave. This “culture” might even shape how they see and interact with humans.

What Do Orcas Usually Eat?

Orcas are apex predators at the top of the ocean’s food chain. They prefer fatty foods like blubber-rich seals and certain types of fish. They also eat other animals like squid, penguins, and other whale species. Some orcas even hunt great white sharks.

Orcas live together in family groups called pods. Each pod has its own unique culture and way of doing things, such as how the whales hunt or what they eat. Even if two pods live in the same area, they may eat completely different things. For example, in the Pacific Northwest, resident orcas only eat fish (mainly salmon), while Bigg’s (transient) orcas mostly eat seals and squid.

Orcas are extremely intelligent and work together when they hunt. Depending on the prey, the whales employ different hunting strategies. In Antarctica, orcas swim together at high speeds to create giant waves that knock seals off the ice. Near Norway, orcas blow bubbles to trap fish in a tight ball, then hit the fish with their tails to stun them. Off the coast of New Zealand, orcas even know how to flip great white sharks upside down, putting the sharks into a paralyzed state called tonic immobility.

Orcas are intelligent and discerning hunters, and they could easily hunt humans if they wanted to — but luckily for us, they don’t.

Encountering an Orca

Orcas are powerful and fast, swimming through the water at speeds up to 33 mph. That means not even an Olympic gold medalist could outswim them. So what should you do if you ever encounter an orca while swimming in the ocean?

The most important thing is to stay calm. Don’t splash, scream, or make sudden movements. Such actions could make the orca think you’re a threat.

Try to give the orca as much space as you can. Don’t swim toward the whale, and don’t try to touch or interact with it. If you’re close to shore, slowly and calmly swim toward the beach, but remain calm. Even though many experts believe orcas would never intentionally kill a human, they are still powerful and dangerous animals. Even if an orca is just playing, its size and strength could easily cause serious injuries or even death to a human. So, it’s best to keep your distance and respect their space.

In this YouTube video, two orcas swam straight toward two kids swimming in the water. People on land called out warnings, but fortunately, the kids in the water remained calm for the most part. Maybe the orcas were curious; maybe they were playing. Or maybe they just happened to be heading in that direction anyway, it’s hard to say for sure. But the important thing is that the kids did the right thing by staying calm and still, allowing the orcas to swim by without incident.