Since 2020, several killer whales have been a problem in the Strait of Gibraltar, off the coast of Portugal and off the Scottish Shetland Islands. They go on sailboats and their rudders – moreover, the killer whales seem to learn from each other.
In the last three years, they have gone on boats in the Strait of Gibraltar over 500 times and every time someone or a few from the same group of about 15 whales have been involved.
Furthermore, since 2020, attacks have steadily increased from 52 per year to 207 reported attacks in 2022.
Why do orcas attack?
The researchers are not entirely agreed on what causes the attacks. It is likely that an animal started this behavior after an incident with a boat. Biologists at the University of Aveiro in Portugal who researched the phenomenon believe that this may have been the case with a particular female – White Gladis.
White Gladis got caught in a net in 2020, and after the incident she is also seen during the attacks along with seven other young killer whales.
The Marine Biologist: They might think it’s fun
According to Jimmie Lindell, a marine biologist focusing on killer whales, it could also be that the killer whales simply think it’s fun.
– They are very intelligent animals. You can see that they come up with lots of things – have a jellyfish in their mouth or balance a salmon on their head, he says.
He describes killer whales as “inventive and playful”, but also reminds that it is actually an endangered population.
– It could be that they have many stressful factors which mean that it can be stress-related behaviour, he says.
What can boats do to avoid an attack?
– The most important thing is to stay updated. If you do not have to sail in the region, it is not recommended.
Watch the killer whales take the boats’ helms in the video above.