Do Orcas Think Like Humans?

Through the folds of their brains: Orca intelligence

Sep 05, 2023

Dr. Lori Marino

Dolphins and whales are closely related to hooved animals, says Dr. Lori Marino, a neuroscientist who specializes in the study of cetacean (whales and dolphins) brains. This article discusses some points she shared in her 2019 lecture on Friday Harbor, on the San Juan Islands. I’ve included slides from her presentation below.

Here’s the video if you prefer to watch! Her talk is about 40 minutes, she’s great!

Puget Sound

Growing up around the Puget Sound, Orcas are not necessarily an everyday but they certainly are an integral presence! We have three subpopulations of Orcas: Offshore, Biggs and the Southern Resident Pods. The Residents have their own culture and genetic make-up which sets them apart from others and they reside within the Pacific Northwest. The Southern Residents are made up of three distinct pods, the L, K and J pods.

L25, also known as Ocean Sun, is the oldest living whale of the Southern Residents. She was born in the 1920s and is the only remaining living Southern Resident who has witnessed the “capture era”. She saw friends, daughters and grandchildren being violently stolen away. Tokitae, for example, just died earlier in August after living for over 50 years in the smallest and bleakest tank in North America. She had ground her teeth down on the concrete walls, a sign of major psychological trauma. The sadness of this reality is highlighted when you realize they have brains as complex as our own, if not more. Kind of hurts to imagine a brain like ours, and the complexity of a being like that, being neglected for half a century. The Southern Resident pods entered the endangered species list in 2005 due to being taken into captivity.

But let’s take a step back. In order to help encourage understanding and empathy towards these individuals, rather than fear, we need to think about where they came from and who they are today. One way we do to this is to understand their brains! So let’s get into it.

Turns out whales had a humble beginning but have evolved to be some of the most cerebral and complex individuals on the planet.

In the beginning there was …

Pakicetus. Okay, maybe you weren’t expecting this. Neither was I. Like, excuse me? Whales came from … this? He has a small brain, relative to where evolution would take him. Whales share a common ancestor, and it’s this little guy — isn’t that nuts! Pakicetus featured hooves rather than claws, along with long tails and whiskers. Strikingly, their closest relatives are hippopotami. Around 30 to 35 million years ago, a pivotal event occurred, marking a significant transition.

This transition was important for the change from Archaeoceti to Odontoceti, which are modern toothed whales, eventually leading to Delphinoidea, or modern dolphins. Orca whales fit into this group since they are technically dolphins. The crucial thing to remember about this transition is that it saw a move from giant predators with large teeth and tiny brains to smaller predators with smaller teeth and more developed brains. Even though it took millions of years for them to evolve into the contemporary whale we see today, they still have existed as sentient beings for millions of years before us.

Cerebralization and corticalization

So these brains underwent both expansion and increased complexity. This phenomenon, termed "cerebralization," refers to the proliferation of grey matter in the brain.

In other words, they literally became more cerebral …

But what exactly is the cerebralization process? It involves a significant amount of corticalization. Okay, but what is corticalization? Simply put, it means that they have a significant amount of grey matter, which is responsible for a great deal of intricate and abstract thinking. In other words, Orcas have highly elaborated brains which completely changed 35 mil years ago in ways that even exceed the human brain.

Take this image, for example.

At a glance, you might assume that orcas have a higher mental capacity than humans do, or at the very least just as intricate. Dr. Marino goes on explain that ours is responsible for regulating, breathing, appetite, temperature, in addition to things like like advanced mathemetics, philosophy, art, and sending people to the moon. Dr. Marino puts it perfectly. She says, if you were to look at a picture of one, side by side, without knowing who’s was who’s — you would assume that the orca brain was the one that sent people to the moon. Just imagine what an Orca is be capable of thinking and of feeling.

Cingulate Sulcus and Paralimbic Lobe

The image above highlights two important parts of the brain: the cingulate sulcus and the paralimbic lobe. These areas of the brain are involved with emotion, memory, and learning. Humans and Orcas both have the cingulate sulcus, which responsible for awareness and social conditions. The paralimbic lobe, on the other hand, is an extra fold unique to Orcas and other dolphins.

Each of these folds in the brain is crucial because, similar to folding a sheet from wall to wall, they increase the surface area of the brain. This method of managing complex brain material by packing it into compact, foldable structures is one that evolution has cleverly adapted.

So the paralimbic lobe is an incredible discovery because it connects memory, emotion, and the learning process. This understanding stems from the uniform positioning of these brain processes in all mammalian species. Its principal job is to connect the limbic system's emotional centers with the problem-solving regions of the brain. This discovery throws light on the cognitive processes of orca brains and provides vital insights into their thought processes. It tells us something about an Orca brain and how they actually think.

Insula

Another essential area is the Insula, associated with self-awareness, social emotions, and some motor control. In Orcas, this area exhibits a high level of complexity, suggesting special cognitive functions. These insights into brain anatomy have implications for understanding the psychological depth of these creatures, such as their complex social networks and cultural behaviors.

By looking at the image above, we can see that both humans and orcas share the insula. In humans it is there, we can see the crease which is outline in green. But in orcas “its a riot of tissue”, as Dr. Marino says. This also tells us about the psychological potential of orcas and other dolphins.

The depths of their thoughts

As we dive deeper into understanding their brains, we're effectively opening a window into the complexities of their thoughts. It's fascinating to note that menopause is a part of their lives, which shouldn't be surprising, they have enduring social bonds, a collaborative nature, and status as cultural beings, especially when we consider the significance of the insula as well as other aspects of their development.

Our current study of the Orca brain has given us the ability to conclude that our ideas about their psychology may actually be valid.

Implications - Orca Welfare

Dr. Marino has done a lot of work within the arena of orca welfare, she was even interviewed for the documentary Blackfish. She posed the question: “what happens when we put that brain here [small pool]”?

In captivity we know that orcas experiences tremendous stress, both mentally, emotionally and physically. In almost every case are acts of repetitive self harm, like grinding teeth down on the concrete tank so that they are numb or bashing their heads against the walls. Some of these captive orcas are then put on anti-anxiety medications which causes them ulcers, further deteriorating their health.

One question from Dr. Marino’s presentation was why has Tokitae lasted so long in captivity? Well just as humans are complex and vary in personality, in strengths and weakness, so do whales. It all comes down to individual differences. So her survival, 57 years in captivity, was more a testament to her resilience. Everyone reacts differently to trauma, most whales do not live half that length in captivity. In the wild their lifespan is the length of a humans.

As a burgeoning community of nature enthusiasts, we would love to hear about your own experiences in the great outdoors. Share an encounter you’ve had with an Orcinus orca, or maybe one you want to have! If you know of conservation efforts or more ways to get involved, feel free to leave your comments below and let's connect over our love for nature!