Whaling Away At Intelligence

I work as a whale-watching guide. I am explaining some of the whales we might see.

Me: “Sperm whales are found year-round in our waters. They can get very large so if we encounter any, we will keep our distance to respect both them and our safety.”

Tourist: “Do the sperm whales ever swim under the island and come up and attack people on land?”

Me: “Uh… can you clarify what you mean?”

Tourist: “Do the sperm whales like, swim under the island and then, like, punch up and make holes in the land to attack people?”

Me: *Trying to be diplomatic.* “No. They don’t do that.”

Tourist: “Is it because they’re kinda stupid?”

Me: “Actually, some sperm whales are smarter than tourists.”

Tourist: “Really? That’s kinda cool.”