Listen to these Orca whales imitate human speech

As part of the trial, the killer whale was asked to mimic never-before-heard sounds made by other orcas with different dialects from different family groups.

Then, she was made to repeat human words.

In recordings of the experiment, Wikie takes several stabs at "hello". Every time, she voices two syllables with something resembling an "l" in the middle and an "o" at the end.

[Sypherz]

What I find more fascinating than orcas imitating human speech, is the fact that they'd be interested in doing so.

[potatomatop]

Great White: i am the ocean's scariest predator

Orca: heyoow!

[hawkeyenez]

Nothing pisses me off more than knowing that these remarkably intelligent, emotional, and self-aware animals are kept in tiny tanks for human amusement.

[megret]

You’ll know the end is near when they say, “so long and thanks for all of the fish”

[annamay]

Imagine hearing that alone in the middle of the ocean. Just you and you hear a distinct "Hello."

[branjosnow]

As soon as they can string a sentence together it will be, "please stay out of the ocean?"

[nutmeg]

How bored these poor orcas must be to take the time to imitate a human. They are so intelligent. Each pod actually has their own sounds of frequencies they use to communicate. To have them kept in these tanks only double maybe triple their size, breaks my heart.

[herbderbler]

That last "one two" was clearly an orca trolling a human. Magnificent.

[mmawithsubtitles]

I wonder if one day they'll ask why they are in a aquarium

[dragulia_venaro]

Human : Bye bye.
Orca : Farewell.

[xoMissTaylorDivine]

This made me cry. Animals are so intelligent if they’re given the chance to show it.

[Jack_Kongnamu]

"This animal sounds so bizarre, I'm going to mimic it."

[agusmeza]

They're such incredible animals and to think humans have treated them so poorly through history... So sad.

[peterd]

Orcas are by far my favorite sea creature, they are just so freaking cool in every way, from behavior to appearance!

[niklas]

You can realize they're trying hard, although not being able to replicate the sounds physically.

[pixelsat-odysee]

Just today, I whistled at wild birds in my back yard. One actually copied me perfectly and responded back, twice.

Animals can be intelligent.

[LucasJasche]

It almost sounds like they have their own speech patterns like each individual human does. A voice.

[axe]

For some reason I was overcome with sadness from this.

[MKRex]

How marvellous it is, that we could be in such a wonderful time as this, seeing and hearing something as beautiful as this, countless millions before us, never did and many more won’t.

Thank you to this channel.

Shame, that as we advance into our own annihilation through greed and ignorance, we leave behind something we may never fully appreciate.

In all the known universe, we might be the only organism able to bear witness to the vastness of existence. Yet we are so blind to everything.

[whereloveblossoms]

My Heart Melted at the Hellos!! Each Orca had their own personal character voice!!