Humpback whales are crashing orca hunts – seemingly driven by an instinct to rescue other animals.
It’s one of the ocean’s most unexpected mysteries: a seal is being hunted by a pod of killer whales… when out of nowhere, two humpback whales rush in, trumpeting, massive, and seemingly determined to stop the kill.
This isn’t a fluke. In a study of 115 documented cases, scientists observed humpbacks confronting orcas during hunts – and in nearly 90% of those cases, the humpbacks disrupted the attack. Even more surprising? Many of the animals they protected weren’t even their own kind.
Seals. Sea lions. Gray whale calves. Even sunfish. The humpbacks showed up, placed themselves between predator and prey, used their massive fins to shield the victims, and sometimes physically lifted them out of the water.
And then? They left. No food. No reward. No obvious benefit.
Some scientists believe this behavior started as a protective instinct – evolved to defend their own calves – and is now being applied to any creature in distress. Others think it may point to complex social awareness or empathy in humpbacks, something we’re only beginning to understand.
As one researcher put it: “It’s almost as if humpbacks just don’t like bullies.”
These whales have even been seen traveling long distances just to intervene. One report described humpbacks swimming for hours to reach a killer whale attack, only to chase the orcas off and then disappear into the deep again.
Are these acts of instinct, emotion, or something we can’t yet explain?
We don’t know. But in a world where survival often means silence, the humpback’s defiance is loud, deliberate, and extraordinary.
Learn more: Bittel, Jason. “Did Humpbacks Try to Save a Seal from Orcas? See for Yourself.” National Geographic, 7 Sept. 2023
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