Over the past three years, a pod of killer whales (orcas) has sunken three boats, seemingly on purpose. These attacks have left experts scratching their heads. Throughout history, there have been reports of ships sinking because of a collision of some sort with orcas or other whales. However, until 2020, hearing about killer whales attacking a boat was unheard of.
Killer Whales Disable a Ship
On July 29, 2020, Victoria Morris was a crew member aboard a 46-foot boat in Spain when nine killer whales surrounded the vessel. Being a biology graduate, she was excited at first. She had experience with friendly orcas when she taught sailing in New Zealand.
However, that quickly turned to fear when the animals began to ram the hull causing the boat to spin 180 degrees. The attack disabled the auto-helm and engine. Pieces of the rudder could be seen floating away, leaving the 4-person crew stranded.
Fear didn’t really sink in until they had to pack up a bag to take with them if they had to abandon the ship. “The noise was really scary. They were ramming the keel, there was this horrible echo, I thought they could capsize the boat. And this deafening noise as they communicated, whistling to each other. It was so loud that we had to shout,” stated Morris. She added that the attack felt “orchestrated.”
Waiting for Rescue
An hour and a half later, the crew was rescued. Understandably, it took them a little bit to make the coast guard understand they had been attacked by killer whales and needed help. By the time help arrived, the orcas were gone.
They towed the disabled vessel to port, where they lifted it out of the water. The rudder was missing the bottom third and outer layer and teeth marks lined the underside.
Damaging Forces
Six days prior, a pod of four orcas disabled a 40-foot Beneteau. Alfonso Gomez-Jordana Martin was crewing a delivery boat near Barbate when the orcas struck. He recorded the killer whales as they continuously bumped the boat.
Gomez-Jordana Martin stated they appeared to be more excited than aggressive. However, their actions damaged the rudder and eventually caused the boat to tip over.
“Once we were stopped, they came in faster: 10-15 knots, from a distance of about 25 [meters],” he recalled. “The impact tipped the boat sideways.” When the incident was reported to the port authority, the skipper stated the force of the orcas’ bumps almost “dislocated the helmsman’s shoulder.” The killer whales were also able to spin the boat “through 120 degrees.”
Motor-Sailing vs Killer Whales
On July 22, 2020, a couple was motor-sailing their 50-foot Kailani off the coast of Barbate. The boat was pacing along the flat calm waters at eight knots. Suddenly, the boat came to a complete stop. Thinking they had come across some netting, they pulled out their flashlights. To their surprise, it was orcas.
Then they noticed the boat was now facing the opposite direction. Every time they corrected it the orcas would spin them back around. The couple reported feeling a sensation like the animals were attempting to lift the vessel. The whole thing lasted roughly 20 minutes. Their rudder was damaged, but they were able to make it to La Línea.
At least 15 incidents were reported that year.
Recent Interactions with Killer Whales
As of May 24, 2023, there have been three incidents where killer whales have caused boats to sink. Experts believe the odd behavior was taught by one traumatized orca and is now being copied by the rest of the population.
On May 4, a pod of three orcas struck a yacht off the coast of Spain. The skipper, Werner Schaufelberger, reported there was one larger orca and two smaller ones. “The little ones shook the rudder at the back while the big one repeatedly backed up and rammed the ship with full force from the side,” he recalled.
The smaller orcas watched the larger “one’s technique” before they began to imitate it. Spanish coast guards saved the crew and towed the vessel back to port. Unfortunately, the ship sank at the port’s entrance.
Two days prior, a pod of six killer whales attacked a sailboat also in the Strait of Gibraltar. One witness, Greg Blackburn, said the mother orca appeared to be teaching her calf how to charge the vessel’s rudder.
Trauma Based Behavior
A biologist at the University of Aveiro in Portugal and representative of the Atlantic Orca Working Group, Alfredo López Fernandez, stated the hostile altercations have occurred “in places where orcas are found, either in Galicia or in the Strait.”
López Fernandez participated in a study of the string of seemingly odd behavior the orcas have been displaying. “In more than 500 interaction events recorded since 2020, there are three sunken ships,” he stated in an email to Live Science. The group estimates the orcas only touch one boat “out of every hundred that sail through a location.”
Experts are baffled as to what exactly has led the creatures to such aggression. However, they are leaning towards “defensive behavior based on trauma.”
Are the Orcas Just Playing
Monika Wieland Shields, director of the Orca Behavior Institute, a nonprofit research organization based in Washington state, doesn’t believe they are being aggressive. In fact, she believes “it gets taken as aggression because it’s causing damage.”
Marine biologist Dr. Renaud de Stephanis believes the same thing. From what he can tell, the orcas “appear to be engaging with sailboats as a form of entertainment.”
In all of the incidents reported, including the sinking ships, no one died. Whatever, the reasoning is, it has many concerns the incidents will increase and possibly spread to other areas.
By Sheena Robertson
Sources:
People: One ‘Traumatized’ Orca May Have Taught Whales to Sink Boats, But Some Experts Say They’re Just ‘Playing’
NBC: Orcas sank three boats off the coast of Portugal, but don’t call them ‘killer’ just yet
Live Science: Orcas have sunk 3 boats in Europe and appear to be teaching others to do the same. But why?
The Guardian: ‘I’ve never seen or heard of attacks’: scientists baffled by orcas harassing boats
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Kat Kellner‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Dave Sutherland‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
