Ilaria Rosella Pagliaro An experiment on Wikie, a trained orca, shows that these marine mammals are capable of imitating human sounds and vocalizations of other orcas: a discovery that pushes us to reflect on the value of empathy and interspecific communication
The sound is unmistakable—clear and well-articulated: “Amy.” But it’s not a human voice pronouncing the name. It’s an orca.
Wikie, the orca at the center of this groundbreaking research, has stunned scientists by mimicking human sounds, including words like “hello,” “one, two,” and even “bye bye.”
Marine mammals are already known for their remarkable intelligence, but Wikie’s ability has surpassed all expectations. During the study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Wikie successfully reproduced sounds she had never heard before, including other orcas’ calls and even a noise resembling a raspberry.
According to Josep Call, a professor at the University of St. Andrews, this vocal ability sheds new light on the social dynamics of wild orcas. “The distinct dialects we observe among different pods could be the result of vocal imitation among individuals,” he explains. He adds, “What struck us was the flexibility with which Wikie imitated sounds so different from her natural repertoire.”
Orcas and other animals that mimic humans
Wikie is not alone in this feat. Other animals have also demonstrated the ability to mimic human sounds, though they use different vocal mechanisms. Elephants, beluga whales, parrots, and orangutans have all exhibited similar skills. For instance, the beluga whale Noc modified the use of his nasal cavities to produce human-like vocalizations, while the Indian elephant Koshik inserted his trunk into his mouth to articulate Korean words like “hello” and “sit.”
Despite these impressive abilities, only a few species can mimic human sounds with accuracy. This skill requires a complex interaction between the brain and vocal apparatus. It is precisely the orca’s anatomy—so different from that of humans—that makes Wikie’s case even more extraordinary.
How Wikie learned to imitate human speech
Wikie lives in a French aquarium, where she was trained to respond to the command “copy.” Before the experiment, researchers worked to refine her ability to mimic familiar sounds, such as those made by her calf, Moana.
Then, Wikie was exposed to entirely new sounds: six human words, including “hello,” “bye bye,” and “Amy,” as well as unfamiliar orca calls. The result? Wikie successfully replicated each sound with a surprising success rate. Some vocalizations were imitated on the first attempt, while words like “hello” were accurately repeated multiple times.
An independent team of six evaluators confirmed that the sounds Wikie mimicked were indeed similar to the originals, eliminating any doubts about the validity of the findings.
Rethinking our connection to the animal world
Beyond adding a new dimension to our understanding of orca behavior, this study invites us to reconsider our relationship with the animal kingdom. Wikie’s ability to mimic human speech reminds us that communication is not exclusive to our species. As dolphin communication expert Diana Reiss points out:
“Animals possess a complexity that we do not yet fully understand.”
Irene Pepperberg, renowned for her studies on parrots, considers this research a significant step toward deepening our understanding of animal intelligence. Orcas, already known for their extraordinary social structures, once again prove to be more like us than we imagined—capable of learning, imitating, and perhaps, in some way, connecting with other species. And if Wikie says “hello” to us, maybe it’s time we respond—not just with words, but with action to protect these incredible creatures and their habitats.
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
