Orcas, the largest members of the dolphin family, are not only known as apex predators but also for their surprising ability to mimic human speech. Recent research highlighted their capacity to replicate simple words like 'hello' and 'bye bye.'
A study published in 2018 by international experts demonstrated that orcas can imitate human sounds. The research involved a 14-year-old orca named Wikie, trained to mimic specific sounds and words.
Wikie, residing at Marineland in Antibes, France, successfully copied three orca sounds and six human words, including 'hello' and 'Amy' (her trainer's name). The results showed that Wikie could imitate these sounds with remarkable accuracy, leading to mixed reactions from observers.
While over 50% of the time, Wikie's attempts at 'hello' were deemed correct, the study indicates that orcas learn through vocal mimicry, which may be fundamental to their communication in the wild.
This research opens doors for further studies on wild orcas to understand more about their vocal learning capabilities and communication methods.