Orcas can imitate human speech, research reveals

Killer whales able to copy words such as 'hello' and 'bye bye' as well as sounds from other orcas, study shows

High-pitched, eerie and yet distinct, the sound of a voice calling the name "Amy" is unmistakable. But this isn't a human cry - it's the voice of a killer whale called Wikie.

New research reveals that orcas are able to imitate human speech, in some cases at the first attempt, saying words such as "hello", "one, two" and "bye bye".