SPECIAL FEATURES:
Email
Dog chases stick, orca chases dog
New Zealander captures video of dog being chased by orca whale in water and of diver swimming towards shore upon seeing the whale.
Tue, Nov 20 2012 at 7:54 AM
Related Topics:
Screengrab of orca whale swimming after dog / Photo: YouTube | Deonette De Jongh
As a species, dogs put a high emphasis on retrieving sticks and a comparatively low emphasis on avoiding contact with killer whales.
That seems to be the clear lesson of a new video out of Leigh, New Zealand, which shows a black Labrador retriever briefly carousing with an orca before thinking better of it and returning to shore.
The video, filmed by Auckland resident Deonette De Jongh, according to The New Zealand Herald, also shows a spear fisherman who makes a quick break to a cluster of rocks when he realizes he's hunting alongside an orca pod.
A man claiming to be the spear fisherman commented on the YouTube video and corroborated De Jongh's explanation of the encounters, alleging that the Labrador had first been led into the orca-stirred water after a man threw a stick in that direction. The purported spear fisherman, who goes by the name Tin Arse on YouTube, further commented that the man said he threw the stick, because he "wanted to see what would happen." [Watch the video]
What happened is that the dog bounded into the water, abruptly realized the massive size of the animal beneath the surf and then chose to go back to shore, where it leveled a few face-saving barks at its pursuer.
The stick thrower's actions have been called "irresponsible and stupid" by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Herald reports, but thankfully neither the spear fisherman nor the dog were likely in extreme danger.
Despite the menacing name, killer whales have never been known to kill humans or dogs in the wild. Different orca pods in different regions have their own preferred diets, none of which include humans or dogs, and the black-and-white mammals are not typically adventurous eaters. (Alaskan orcas do put an occasional swimming moose on their menu).
The orcas in the video had probably approached the shore to trawl for stingrays, a favorite snack for the New Zealand wing of the species. Kiwi orcas are even known to toss around stingrays like Frisbees before eating them, something dogs might like to do if they could figure out how.
Related on Life's Little Mysteries and MNN:
This story was originally written for Life's Little Mysteries and is reprinted with permission here. Copyright 2012 Lifes Little Mysteries, a TechMediaNetwork company.
You might also like:
Sign in with one of these accounts to add your comment.
EDITORS' PICKS
Advertisement
TODAY'S MOST POPULAR ON
- 12 best new features of the Samsung Galaxy S4
- 15 famous people who mysteriously disappeared
- 13 natural remedies for the ant invasion
- 20 ways to reuse coffee grounds, tea leaves
- 10 false facts most people think are true
- 8 hair care treatments you can make yourself
- Best air-filtering houseplants, according to NASA
- What if Yellowstone's supervolcano erupts?
- 6 unusual team-building activities
- Easy homemade soap
NEWSLETTER
Advertisement
What a jerk!
he needs to thrown into the water w/a shark or 2 around, u know, "just to see what happens"
The owner of the dog saw there were whales in the water, and then purposely put his obedient and trusting dog's life at risk encouraging it into that water to go fetch - for the video? - the man is not a man, he's an a..hole and does not deserve the love of a dog.
Orcas don't normally kill men or dogs "in the wild" due to the fact that men nor dogs are usually in orca infested areas "in the wild". How absurd. Even if the orca didn't like the taste of dog it doesn't mean it wouldn't have tried to eat it anyway, then what? Oh...just wanted to see what would happen. Horrible person....poor dog. Orcas eat mammals, like seals...so you never know what would happen.
The Orcas could have grabbed both the man and the dog even after they'd landed - but being highly intelligent animals they will also know the difference between launching an attack on jagged rocks and smooth warm sand...! So neither the diver nor the dog really knows how close they came to finding out what would have happened to them if they'd clambered ashore on a sandbar...!!!
That orca could have pulled the dog under if it wanted to. It was right on the dog's tail. In fact, I'm sure it could have beached itself to grab anyone or anything standing right at the edge of the water. People are so ignorant and stupid when it comes to wildlife sightings. There's a complete lack of respect.
To quote my husband, "I have to agree that the owner of the dog is a complete tit."