MOBY DICTION
Captive killer whale named Wikie has been ‘taught to SPEAK through her blowhole’ in world first
The sounds Wikie makes emerge as parrot-like squawks, shrill whistles or raspberries, but most are clear enough to understand
A KILLER whale named Wikie has been taught to speak through her blowhole — and a scientist says she may be able to hold a conversation one day.
Wikie, a 16-year-old captive orca, copies words and phrases such as “hello”, “one, two, three” and the name of her trainer, Amy.
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The sounds emerge as squawks, shrill whistles or raspberries but most can be understood.
Wikie was taught to copy sounds and words from her three-year-old calf Moana and humans.
She “spoke” while partially immersed in water with her blowhole ex- posed and is believed to be the first orca to do so.
Researchers did not set out to test Wikie’s communication skills.
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But the scientist who led the study believes she could have a basic chat in future. Dr Jose Abramson, of Complutense University in Madrid, said: “Yes, it's conceivable — if you have labels, descriptions of what things are.
“But you have to be careful about imposing our human concepts on animals. We will gain more if we try to understand the natural way each species communicates in its own environment than if we try to teach a human language.”
The experiments were carried out at Wikie’s home in Marineland of Anti- bes, France.
Wild orcas are known to live in groups and communicate in dialects that are often unique to their pod.
Pod of orcas cruise alongside jet skis off coast of Kaikoura, New Zealand