• Question: What is the most lethal whale? (apart from the killer whale! ;) )

    Asked by kelsh003 to Eoin on 21 Mar 2011.
    • Photo: Eoin Lettice

      Eoin Lettice answered on 21 Mar 2011:

      Hi kelsh, sorry for taking so long to get back to you !
      Whales arent really that lethal to humans… just to other whales. The Killer whale is probably the most impressive in terms of ‘talents’ and variety of species eaten. Killer whales will eat a variety of species as food depending where they are. They have been filmed intentionally beaching themselves and taking sea lion pups and they feed on seals in areas where seals are abundant, however they mainly feed on fish, including salmon.
      NO instances have been recorded in the wild of a killer whale targeting or killing a human. Killer whales have killed ‘trainers’ in captivity although this is for a whole other discussion (if you were taken from a vast ocean and put in a swimming pool you might be inclined to act out of character too).
      Whales are highly evolved hunters and are lethal if you are a fish and they want to eat you but they are generally not lethal to humans.
      (thanks to my brother for filling me in on all this whale info. – cos it’s really not my area).

      Eoin

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