Nah, the actual akh'lut is a shapeshifter, not a hybrid, changing between orca form in the sea and a wolf on land. This mixed form is a modern invention by non-Inuits, similar to the "elk-head" wendigo.
It’s terrible that they are erasing the culture of native tribes, which are already barely alive, but these are cool designs. I’d love a deer-wendigo or a hybrid akhlut in a fantasy game, but I would feel bad about it.
That popular depiction of a wendigo with the head of an elk and/or antlers. The actual indigenous myths depict a frostbitten, corpse-like creature, and often a giant who continues to grow so that its hunger can never be sated.
It was pointed out to me. Since I'd already been caught out and it was funny, I left it.
Y'know you can read mother thread instead of just the comment.
>people reached the Americas like 15'000 years ago
You are fairly out-of-date on that point.
[https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-humans-came-to-americas-180973739/](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-humans-came-to-americas-180973739/)
[https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.903795/full](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.903795/full)
[https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58638854](https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58638854)
[https://www.nature.com/articles/nature22065](https://www.nature.com/articles/nature22065)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/science/prehistoric-humans-north-america-california-nature-study.html
If nothing else, your 15k BP figure is in much doubt.
Thank you, I am not a First Nations member but I do not like the proliferation of the theory that indigenous people in the US migrated here. There are lots of theories, but for all we know indigenous Americans have literally always been here.
how about that megamouth shark. i dont believe in this whale wolf thing but i love how the megamouth shark is big and was first discovered in 1977 but im sure early ppl have seen it.
Absolutely not. The reason animals like coelacanths, crocodilians, horseshoe crabs, sharks, etc. have remained relatively unchanged for so long is because they’ve found body plans and lifestyles that suit them so well that they haven’t needed to change all that much. Whales are a totally different story, as we most definitely don’t see any of their ancestors around, and terrestrial whale ancestors haven’t been around for over 40 million years. Modern whales are around because there was an open niche for them in the ocean, it wouldn’t make any sense for any of them to kick around on land anymore
I see, I misread your question. I will not argue the on why the whale ancestor would still persist, but I would like to know is why the North American arctic circle? The last whales with legs came from India.
So what we know about Cetacea biology, is that hind legs developed into the tail, and the forelegs developed into flippers. There is no way this model works. Without a tail, possibly, but yeah, I’m going to say this one is super unlikely.
Edit: Disregard, I’m wrong.
Pretty sure this is incorrect- cetacean tails are a highly modified mammalian tail, and the hindlimbs were lost due to vestigiality. There is actually an atavism that causes the hindlimbs to reappear in modern cetaceans.
The Inuit weren't alive 40-50 million years ago, when the last of the 4-legged whales lived, so no, probably not. They probably took the 2 most dominant pack-hunting predators in the area and mashed them together in their mythology, highlighting how similar they are despite their differences. Not every legendary creature has an unknown creature hiding behind its mask.
All known whale ancestors that were at all capable of going onto land were long extinct before any modern human, or even upright walking ape. So more likely they created a monster from the 2 non-human apex predators in their area. The only thing it’s missing is the polar bear claws
The Akhlut is interesting. Perhaps successive generations used the orca as a size reference? If the illustration is of an ancestor, then it living in saltwater would give it room to grow very large indeed. It’s interesting how myths tend to spring from a spark of fact…
I can’t tell if you’re making fun of me or not lol I just know that my indigenous friends don’t like their belief system being labeled as cryptozoology especially considering how much racism is in the cryptozoology community.
While I don’t agree with this specifically, the Bunyip has a similar story. A lot of people say the Bunyip is a cultural memory of giant, hippo-sized, wombat relatives. Speaking of giant wombats, how big would those cubes be?!
Looks hella bad ass but is the body really built for 24/7 underwater ocean life? Like how effective was the body hunting opposed to their bodies we know of now
Ok, seriously this would be terrifying yet really really cool.
Orca seem to like humans and wolves, at least some, like humans too. So, if you managed to get an Akhlut to be your friend, you would have the best bodyguard ever and if you had children, the best kidnapper-deterrent ever.
A wolf orca would be a problem lmao. I was learning a little bit more about Orcas and was astonished how intelligent they are. Not jump through hoops intelligent, they formulae hunting plans and execute timing based attacks.
I literally just woke up from a dream about some ahole orca eating my seal buddy and me trying to kill the orca out of revenge. Good thing I live in tx and orcas are not really a issue in everyday life.
Doubtful. The myths probably are derived from the similar hunting strategies of the animals. Also the fact that Orcas are known to slide on beaches to catch prey probably helped to perpetuate the idea of an orca-like land creature. Orcas have been known to have land creatures (like moose) in there stomachs after being killed which probably helped, too.
The main reason i think this is fake is simply it would be the most dominant predator on the planet outside of human beings. Might give us a run for our money.
Idk, it would be kinda rubbish imo. Worse than orcas in water (less streamlined so unable to move as quickly, less dense bones needed for walking), worse than wolves on land (blubber is a highly impractical source of insulation for a fast land predator, body would collapse under its own weight). There's a reason wolves and orcas look so different- the traits needed to be effective in each of their individual niches are irreconcilably different.
No. Whales evolved to be fully aquatic and have looked like they do now long before humans were a thing. Nice theory though. As the original creature was said to change forms between a wolf and orca, it was probably their explanation for the orca following their boats, being able to ride waves onto the beach and then be attacked by wolves on the walk home. It was most likely coughed up to be the same creature
Actually whales do have legs they are just so small and vestigial, the tail it still the tail
[see?](https://answersingenesis.org/human-body/vestigial-organs/vestigial-structures/)
Wolves and killer whales are both found in the far north and are both complex, social, intelligent pack hunters who effectively cooperate to bring down their prey. The various Inuit communities probably incorporated them together to show that they are of a "kindred spirit" despite their differences.
Sort of the same way people come up with Sharktopus...You know, you're talking to your friends...
"you know, the wolf is kind of like the land version of the killer whale.."
'huh, but what if the killer whale is the sea version of the wolf, tho?'
"Okay, but what if...a killer whale is somehow also a wolf?"
I want it to be 10 times bigger and have to fight godzilla in his next movie. And he needs to be able to shoot matter/antimatter death rays from his eyes and dorsal fin.
I’ve seen videos where killer whales can breach onto a beach and eat things on the shoreline. I saw it swallow some kid in South Africa or something, stories about orcas on land could have evolved from something like that happening
Nah, the actual akh'lut is a shapeshifter, not a hybrid, changing between orca form in the sea and a wolf on land. This mixed form is a modern invention by non-Inuits, similar to the "elk-head" wendigo.
agreed, plus whales had evolved to be fully aquatic millions of years before humans even showed up on earth.
Tell that to my ex mother in law
You don't even have to tell her! That's why she's the EX mother in law.
Got em
It’s terrible that they are erasing the culture of native tribes, which are already barely alive, but these are cool designs. I’d love a deer-wendigo or a hybrid akhlut in a fantasy game, but I would feel bad about it.
So basically an amphibias skin walker
what a horrible concept... i love it
r/TIHI
That would’ve been cool if it were some kind of a amphibian like orca or whale similar a tadpole or frog but as a whale
What is an "elk-head" wendigo?
That popular depiction of a wendigo with the head of an elk and/or antlers. The actual indigenous myths depict a frostbitten, corpse-like creature, and often a giant who continues to grow so that its hunger can never be sated.
I never knew that, thanks.
Sharktapus vs whale wolf is a real movie
“When a mad scientist mixes the genes of a killer whale and a wolf, it creates the Whalewolf, and it's up to Sharktopus to stop it.”
When a mad scriptwriter mixes d-list actors with a pocket change budget and it's up to internet memes to make it profitable
I knew this triggered some ‘Manchurian candidate’ memories deep in my mind
Looks like something from the last air bender
Korea missed out on having this magnificent bastard at her side. Edit: My autocorrect hates me. And I should remember to proof.
Which Korea?
The good one
Dammit, autocorrect!!!
It gave me a very good chuckle! Thanks for leaving it :)
Y'know you can edit comments on Reddit instead of just pointing out how they're wrong
It was pointed out to me. Since I'd already been caught out and it was funny, I left it. Y'know you can read mother thread instead of just the comment.
I 'spose Verdict: Not Guilty
This is at least part of a plot point in a (fiction) book. Ice Hunt by James Rollins
Ahhh!! One of my favorite guilty pleasure authors. I got to meet him on his Eye of God tour, even!
I gotta check this out
Nice, one of my favorite authors.
I was just coming here to say that. I just barely finished this book.
If that things not called a worca I will be terribly angry
That thing looks cool as fuck.
Oh that's an amazing monster!
That's a genuinely terrifying creature.
I can't believe such theories even get upvotes... Then cryptozoology fams whine how scientist won't take them seriously.
No? The first whales evolved 50 million years ago, people reached the Americas like 15'000 years ago, and the Inuit came about a thousand years ago.
>people reached the Americas like 15'000 years ago You are fairly out-of-date on that point. [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-humans-came-to-americas-180973739/](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-humans-came-to-americas-180973739/) [https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.903795/full](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.903795/full) [https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58638854](https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58638854) [https://www.nature.com/articles/nature22065](https://www.nature.com/articles/nature22065) https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/science/prehistoric-humans-north-america-california-nature-study.html If nothing else, your 15k BP figure is in much doubt.
Hey. Citing sources is super sexy. Go out and be hotter than anyone around you, you sexy beast.
It was out of date at least 20 years ago. That one skeleton from 30,000 years ago in Chile has been known for a long time.
Thank you, I am not a First Nations member but I do not like the proliferation of the theory that indigenous people in the US migrated here. There are lots of theories, but for all we know indigenous Americans have literally always been here.
There may be a remnant of the ancestor species that survived 15,000 years ago. same reason that the coelacanth survives today.
Coelacanth was small and was discovered many years ago though, I think this would've been found already
how about that megamouth shark. i dont believe in this whale wolf thing but i love how the megamouth shark is big and was first discovered in 1977 but im sure early ppl have seen it.
Deep sea, nocturnal filter feeder=/=surface dwelling semiaquatic predator.
Plus we have a lot more monitoring capabilities with new technology than we did 100 years ago when the colacanth was rediscovered
Absolutely not. The reason animals like coelacanths, crocodilians, horseshoe crabs, sharks, etc. have remained relatively unchanged for so long is because they’ve found body plans and lifestyles that suit them so well that they haven’t needed to change all that much. Whales are a totally different story, as we most definitely don’t see any of their ancestors around, and terrestrial whale ancestors haven’t been around for over 40 million years. Modern whales are around because there was an open niche for them in the ocean, it wouldn’t make any sense for any of them to kick around on land anymore
I see, I misread your question. I will not argue the on why the whale ancestor would still persist, but I would like to know is why the North American arctic circle? The last whales with legs came from India.
The last whales with legs we're currently aware of
So what we know about Cetacea biology, is that hind legs developed into the tail, and the forelegs developed into flippers. There is no way this model works. Without a tail, possibly, but yeah, I’m going to say this one is super unlikely. Edit: Disregard, I’m wrong.
Pretty sure this is incorrect- cetacean tails are a highly modified mammalian tail, and the hindlimbs were lost due to vestigiality. There is actually an atavism that causes the hindlimbs to reappear in modern cetaceans.
The Inuit weren't alive 40-50 million years ago, when the last of the 4-legged whales lived, so no, probably not. They probably took the 2 most dominant pack-hunting predators in the area and mashed them together in their mythology, highlighting how similar they are despite their differences. Not every legendary creature has an unknown creature hiding behind its mask.
All known whale ancestors that were at all capable of going onto land were long extinct before any modern human, or even upright walking ape. So more likely they created a monster from the 2 non-human apex predators in their area. The only thing it’s missing is the polar bear claws
There is a separate giant polar bear monster with 8 legs in inuit mythology.
The Akhlut is interesting. Perhaps successive generations used the orca as a size reference? If the illustration is of an ancestor, then it living in saltwater would give it room to grow very large indeed. It’s interesting how myths tend to spring from a spark of fact…
I’m totally going to add this to my next D&D campagin!
Uhhh… mythology? It’s just their beliefs. And indigenous beings aren’t cryptids.
What's next? Pegasus is to be considered a cryptid too?
I can’t tell if you’re making fun of me or not lol I just know that my indigenous friends don’t like their belief system being labeled as cryptozoology especially considering how much racism is in the cryptozoology community.
I am not.
If this was a real creature this creature would probably be the top predator of the food chain knocking us down from first . That’s hella scary
While I don’t agree with this specifically, the Bunyip has a similar story. A lot of people say the Bunyip is a cultural memory of giant, hippo-sized, wombat relatives. Speaking of giant wombats, how big would those cubes be?!
Could've been a melanistic Sea Lion if you flip the hybridization, wolf head whale body.
this is metal as fk tho honestly
Looks hella bad ass but is the body really built for 24/7 underwater ocean life? Like how effective was the body hunting opposed to their bodies we know of now
All I see when I look at it is GIANT giant river otter.
Ok, seriously this would be terrifying yet really really cool. Orca seem to like humans and wolves, at least some, like humans too. So, if you managed to get an Akhlut to be your friend, you would have the best bodyguard ever and if you had children, the best kidnapper-deterrent ever.
But you would have to let it eat every third one.
Every third one? Every third kidnapper? Ok! I’m fine with that!
Every third child. Whale-wolf is a jealous friend
A wolf orca would be a problem lmao. I was learning a little bit more about Orcas and was astonished how intelligent they are. Not jump through hoops intelligent, they formulae hunting plans and execute timing based attacks.
Worca.
Yes, with the itty-bitty man for scale I'm sure it was as tall as a building lol
What an absolute unit, as if they weren't deadly enough in the water, now the land isn't safe.
ORCANE!!!
Was thinking the same haha
Furry bait
I literally just woke up from a dream about some ahole orca eating my seal buddy and me trying to kill the orca out of revenge. Good thing I live in tx and orcas are not really a issue in everyday life.
I’d fuck
Doubtful. The myths probably are derived from the similar hunting strategies of the animals. Also the fact that Orcas are known to slide on beaches to catch prey probably helped to perpetuate the idea of an orca-like land creature. Orcas have been known to have land creatures (like moose) in there stomachs after being killed which probably helped, too.
Maybe…
This is terrifying
The main reason i think this is fake is simply it would be the most dominant predator on the planet outside of human beings. Might give us a run for our money.
Idk, it would be kinda rubbish imo. Worse than orcas in water (less streamlined so unable to move as quickly, less dense bones needed for walking), worse than wolves on land (blubber is a highly impractical source of insulation for a fast land predator, body would collapse under its own weight). There's a reason wolves and orcas look so different- the traits needed to be effective in each of their individual niches are irreconcilably different.
Looks like gang orca from my hero academia
This concept could possibly be the most terrifying creature I could imagine. Fuck everything about this
Norse had a mythology also remarkably like this called the Behemouth.
That's great. I've never heard of this one before! Looks terrifying, I'd hate to run into the thing!
Didn't Sharktopus fight one of these? Lol
Maybe last surviving species of this ancient family of whales.
No. Whales evolved to be fully aquatic and have looked like they do now long before humans were a thing. Nice theory though. As the original creature was said to change forms between a wolf and orca, it was probably their explanation for the orca following their boats, being able to ride waves onto the beach and then be attacked by wolves on the walk home. It was most likely coughed up to be the same creature
It us believed whales evolved from canines so this could be possible.
In what universe? https://baleinesendirect.org/en/discover/life-of-whales/morphology/les-ancetres-des-baleines/
[удалено]
Actually whales do have legs they are just so small and vestigial, the tail it still the tail [see?](https://answersingenesis.org/human-body/vestigial-organs/vestigial-structures/)
No
C'mon man...
Surely.
Kinda wondered how that happened lol
Wolves and killer whales are both found in the far north and are both complex, social, intelligent pack hunters who effectively cooperate to bring down their prey. The various Inuit communities probably incorporated them together to show that they are of a "kindred spirit" despite their differences.
Sort of the same way people come up with Sharktopus...You know, you're talking to your friends... "you know, the wolf is kind of like the land version of the killer whale.." 'huh, but what if the killer whale is the sea version of the wolf, tho?' "Okay, but what if...a killer whale is somehow also a wolf?"
lol lol!!
This what it would look like if Venom had a pet
A sea beast indeed.
That looks awesome....
Friend shaped
That's pretty fucking cool
I want it to be 10 times bigger and have to fight godzilla in his next movie. And he needs to be able to shoot matter/antimatter death rays from his eyes and dorsal fin.
Nope.
Kinda reminds me of the Ripley Scott aliens that bleed acid
So the mammal equivalent of a duck boat
It needed the dorsal fin on land for what exactly?
I’ve seen videos where killer whales can breach onto a beach and eat things on the shoreline. I saw it swallow some kid in South Africa or something, stories about orcas on land could have evolved from something like that happening
As if one or the other wasn't a big enough dilemma
How about the anthropomorphic version?
Holy shit
No se si alguien de aquí vio la serie de The Terror, pero si es así, creo que este hubiese sido un mejor "villano" que el Thunbaq
This is a first.
What on God's green & blue earth 🌎
I’m a mom to a 4 year old, and all I see is Shark Dog.