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That's certainly a factor. However, orca are not limited to cold climates, even if they are found more there. Their natural range includes all oceans, https://

by azakai 11y ago

That's certainly a factor. However, orca are not limited to cold climates, even if they are found more there. Their natural range includes all oceans, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale#Range_and_habitat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale#Range_and_habitat and they can encounter humans not just when the humans are swimming - which is rare in cold climates - but also when they are fishing. Furthermore, there are also practically no cases of other dolphins than orca killing humans, and human-dolphin encounters are not that rare. For example, even in the times of ancient Greece, dolphins were known and considered very friendly, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin#In_history_and_religion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin#In_history_and_religio... Other dolphins are of course significantly smaller than orca, but still very powerful when in the water. I don't think there is an obvious answer for why wild orca have never been seen killing a human, and practically no other dolphin either. It's an interesting mystery.

Tiktaalik 11y ago
An additional reason could be how they find they prey. I’ve read that most of the time shark attacks are somewhat accidental with the shark biting to find out what something is, but not continuing the attack. It could be that the echolocation abilities of toothed whales provides them with a superior ability to discern a human from their typical favoured prey and they don't make mistakes. It would be ambitious for a dolphin to kill a large animal like a human and that’s since that’s not their typical hunting behaviour, I can understand why dolphin attacks are not common. On other hand an transient orca would often eat human sized animals. Even if I’m right that echolocation would allow an orca to discern between a seal and a human, why wouldn’t they give the human a bite to see if they tasted any good? It is pretty weird mystery that there have been no recorded attacks on humans.
- pbhjpbhj 11y ago
  Perhaps humans smell bad.

by azakai 11y ago

Tiktaalik 11y ago

An additional reason could be how they find they prey. I’ve read that most of the time shark attacks are somewhat accidental with the shark biting to find out what something is, but not continuing the attack. It could be that the echolocation abilities of toothed whales provides them with a superior ability to discern a human from their typical favoured prey and they don't make mistakes. It would be ambitious for a dolphin to kill a large animal like a human and that’s since that’s not their typical hunting behaviour, I can understand why dolphin attacks are not common. On other hand an transient orca would often eat human sized animals. Even if I’m right that echolocation would allow an orca to discern between a seal and a human, why wouldn’t they give the human a bite to see if they tasted any good? It is pretty weird mystery that there have been no recorded attacks on humans.

pbhjpbhj 11y ago
Perhaps humans smell bad.