On Thursday, a group of Orcinus orca, also known as killer whales, crashed into a sailboat off the coast of southern Spain, nearly sinking it.
Killer whales attack sailboats off the coast of Spain
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In recent years, killer whales off the coast of Spain have exhibited an unprecedented behavior: attacking and sometimes sinking ships. These unusual events have attracted global attention and provoked scientists to investigate their causes. In the past three years in particular, more than 500 killer whale interactions with ships have been recorded, including three incidents of sinking of ships.
According to a detailed report by Reuters, this horde of killer whales damaged the rudder of the 66-foot vessel and penetrated the hull. This apparent attack adds to a string of records this year of incidents of killer whales causing damage or physical contact with vessels off the coasts of Spain and Portugal. It's estimated that there have been at least 20 incidents of interaction between ships and killer whales this month alone – and it's not just this year. In 2022, 207 such incidents were reported.
The observation of this behavior dates back to 2020 for the first time, mainly along the coast of Spain and Portugal. According to Salon and New York Magazine, in the most recent incident three weeks ago, three killer whales attacked a sailing ship and sank it.
This behavior of killer whales has sparked a series of speculations. Renowned biologist Jeff Corwin believes that such behavior is very rare and speculates that killer whales may be communicating threats or coordinating attacks. He explained that killer whales are highly intelligent and socialized creatures that learn and adapt to their behavior. This attack may be carried out by a family of killer whales or even a larger group.
Corwin has proposed two theories to explain this phenomenon. One view is that this could be a playful or playful behavior by killer whales, which can lead to devastating consequences due to killer whales being so powerful. Another view is that this may stem from a traumatic event, particularly a female killer whale named White Gladis who experienced a painful boat collision and now sees sailing as a threat and teaches her family members about this defensive and offensive behavior.
Netizens discuss why killer whales attack and sink ships
However, this behavior is not widespread, and only a small percentage of killer whales participate in this behavior, most of which are juvenile killer whales. This behavior has sparked some discussion on the web:
One possible theory I've proposed is that killer whales are also beginning to realize that humans provide safe haven for penguins and seals that are being chased by a horde of killer whales. When a boat safely gets penguins, seals or other animals on board, this information is passed between different killer whale populations and different generations. Eventually, killer whales began to realize that humans and boats were interfering with their way of life and even their survival. It's just an idea of mine.
Killer whales have cultures and learning behaviors that vary from group to group. Usually, these behaviors revolve around food and hunting. I would speculate that the reason for the attack was because they learned that some ships would give them food after they hit them.
In 1994, I was sailing south about 200 nautical miles off the coast of Ireland when I was struck by a killer whale. It is part of a group of about 12 killer whales that had surrounded the boats before attacking them. One of the killer whales broke away from the group and struck the part of the hull below the waterline. I started the engine and quickly opened the distance between me and them. When I looked back, one of the killer whales had rushed vertically out of the water, as if to see where I had gone. I think this behavior is called "spy jumping out."
This subspecies of killer whales is critically endangered. Their numbers are even lower than those of southern resident killer whales. There is a good article in the Guardian. A marine biologist who has observed them for years was shocked by the behavior. She said bluntly: "For killer whales, destroying a fiberglass rudder is crazy. I've watched these killer whales grow from babies and I know their life stories. One ecologist and oceanographer called the Strait of Gibraltar "the worst place killer whales live." Killer whales and fishermen have been at war for years. Due to the shortage of prey, killer whales have been stealing tuna from fishing lines. This, in turn, angered the fishermen. Killer whales are protected. However, this does not stop fishermen from using any means necessary to protect their catches. They gave killer whales electric shocks with electric batons, hit them with lit gasoline canisters, and cut their dorsal fins.
I live on this coastline, a small town called Barbate, a few miles/kilometers east of Conil, and no doubt this problem is due to killer whales enjoying free lunches for the past few years for illegal slaughter and selling tuna meat on some fishing vessels. Not all tuna vessels are involved in this issue, but it is indeed a growing problem. The washed fish skeletons, which are huge, up to 2 meters long, have been expertly chopped into the sea. I've been walking on these beaches for 20 years, from Trafalgar to Atlanta, and I've only seen this in the last 3 or 4 years. No matter which beach you walk on, as long as it's during the Almadraba (official fishing season), the law says all tuna should be brought ashore, metal tested, and then sold, and these washed skeletons wash ashore. I have reported this situation, but no one has paid attention. Killer whales learn to have a free lunch lurking in the waves, and then when a fisherman or whaler puts a dead fish on the hook, the killer whale thinks it's time to eat.
Conservation efforts for killer whales
Corwin also warns us that this behavior can pose a danger to killer whales. If killer whales continue to attack vessels, it may not only increase their risk of injury, but also trigger fears and misunderstandings about killer whales, which can negatively affect killer whale conservation efforts. Therefore, he called on the public to understand and respect these sea creatures so that killer whales can lose interest in boats and turn to other activities.
Corwin also stressed the importance of protecting the North Atlantic beluga whale, which is on the brink of extinction, with only about 340 left of it. Fishing, boat strikes, migration, climate change and other factors are pushing the species to the brink of extinction. Therefore, Corwin strongly called for more protective measures to prevent this whale from disappearing in our lifetimes.
While this aggression is common among killer whales in some regions, scientists stress that it is unlikely to spread among killer whales worldwide. Killer whale cultures tend to be very closed, with little communication between groups of killer whales in different regions. Therefore, such behaviour may be confined to certain specific groups.