Cover Image: NOAA

Multiple humpback whales were seen in a six and a half hour stand off with a pod of killer whales for killing a whale calf, a grey whale calf. Two humpback whales were seen before the calf was killed, and around 14 showed up after as if they were protecting the calf’s carcass to prevent the orcas from eating it. Using their tails and flippers to slash at the orcas any time they would try to feed. The humpbacks stayed even with thick forms of krill nearby. There have been over 115 reports of humpback whales preventing orcas from hunting. Sometimes protecting juvenile Humpbacks, but in 89% of these reports, the protected prey was from another species. There are many theories as to why this happens, but the question remains. Why do humpback whales prevent orcas from hunting and eating prey?

They typically opt for combat as their physical structure prevents them from out-swimming predators. They are often seen using their tail and pectoral fins as they are equipped with sharp barnacles, while also being flexible and maneuverable. The orcas, on the other hand, don’t come without their own defense mechanisms, housing 4 rows of razor-sharp teeth. Although these are helpful, the humpback’s fins will cause deep wounds on the orcas, sometimes leading to infections. 

There are many theories as to why they fight back against the orcas, one being that they gain protection. This is thought because when humpbacks are young, they struggle against orcas, but once they become fully grown, they can take on an entire pod. Some scientists believe they attack when they are older to protect their young. This is prominent as many young humpbacks will return to the same feeding grounds as their mothers. There is also another theory that it’s a personal battle between orcas, as it’s not all humpbacks preventing the hunt. Many of the humpbacks preventing hunting have scars from previous orca attacks. Now that they are grown, they take their revenge. The final theory is that the humpbacks don’t exactly know who they are protecting till they get there. They are responding to the orcas’ predation calls to protect their own. Once they realize it is not another humpback, they are already in the hunt. The final theory is that they care for other species. Although this behavior is rarely seen, it is not completely out of the blue. Humpback whales are capable of high-level thinking, which could lead to empathetic responses. 

The answer to the question is something we don’t know. Humpback whales could be stopping orcas from hunting for numerous reasons. Although it is not something completely unheard of it is still unexplained.