What’s Behind the Mysterious Rise in Orca Attacks on Boats

Killer whales are not known for attacking people. The attacks and subsequent deaths that orcas have caused have taken place when killer whales have been taken into captivity and kept in small tanks, where they become stressed. Out in open water, killer whales have never been thought of as creatures that will attack and kill people. However, a recent trend of killer whales attacking seafarers may change public perception of orcas.

A shocking trend has revealed that killer whales are targeting vessels. In some instances, the ships, most often sailboats, are disabled. Other times, the ships have sunk from the damage. Fortunately, there have yet to be any fatalities from the killer whale attacks. However, as the latest attack shows, the region in which the attacks are happening is expanding, which is bad news for sailors in those waters.

Killer Whales Purposefully Attacked Yacht

On July 21, two French sailors were enjoying time out in the open ocean off the coast of Spain. Around 2:00 P.M. local time, the enjoyment turned into terror as the sailboat carrying the men was rammed by a small pod of killer whales.

The attack occurred in the Basque Country, approximately two miles from the town of Deba. This is the first time killer whales have gone after a vessel in the region this year. While the killer whale attacks have become commonplace off the Iberian Coast, this most recent attack shows that the whales may be moving to areas previously unheard of for their migration or feeding. Consequently, after whales from the same pod were seen in waters off the Cornish coast, British sailors are being warned to keep an eye out for the killer whales.

What is interesting, according to Professor Volker Deecke, professor of wildlife conservation at the University of Cumbria, is that the killer whales do not appear to be aggressive in their attacks. Instead, the interactions with the targeted vessels may be more play-oriented.

“During interactions,” Deecke explains to The Telegraph, “the animals remain cool, calm and collected without any of the behavioral signs of aggression such as splashing, or vocalizations.”

Fortunately, the two sailors were taken back to port without injury despite their sailboat being attacked. However, since summer is when orcas are most commonly seen off the Spanish and Portuguese coastlines, sailors passing through “Orca Alley” or nearby areas should heed warnings and be prepared for attacks similar to the one experienced by the French sailors in mid-July.

Location of Attack Was Outside “Orca Alley”

Because the orca attacks on ships are now becoming commonplace, with 600 vessels being attacked and six ultimately being sunk, the region where the attacks are occurring has been given the dubious title of “Orca Alley.”

Orca Alley is along the Iberian Peninsula near Spain and Portugal. Most of the attacks have occurred in the Strait of Gibraltar. What is interesting about this most recent attack is that it occurred off the coast of the Basque region. This is not in the normal areas where killer whales are known to go after and often damage or completely break rudders on vessels.

However, there was one commonality between this attack and others that have occurred in Orca Alley. The attacks, according to a report from the International Whaling Commission, are being carried out by Iberian orcas, a group of endangered killer whales. It is not all in this subspecies of orcas that are orchestrating the attacks. Instead, a small pod has been leading the attacks, and some members now appear to be moving beyond their usual territory, leaving seafarers uncertain about how widespread the attacks may become.

Killer Whale Attacks On Boats Surged in 2020

While it is not uncommon for killer whales to follow vessels, the attacks on the rudders are a relatively new concept within the orca community. However, not all orcas have been attacking ships. It is a specific group given the title GLADIS, which is both a name for an “Orca gladiator” and a way to identify the species of orca involved in the attacks.

The first attacks on rudders began in 2020 in the Strait of Gibraltar. At that time, an adult orca named White Gladis was leading the attacks and was the only killer whale involved. By 2021, White Gladis continued with her attacks, despite having a newborn daughter with her.

It is believed that White Gladis was willing to tackle the ship rather than keep her calf safe due to events that happened in the orca’s past. Those events, according to scientists, were traumatizing enough that White Gladis has it ingrained to stop ships in their place while out at sea. Specifically, it is believed that White Gladis was struck by a vessel or caught up in fishing line.

As other pod members watched White Gladis break rudders, and in some instances, sink ships, they, too, have gotten involved. Of the Iberian orcas, of which it is believed there are fewer than 50 surviving today, at least 15 are involved in the attacks. It is the same orcas that repeatedly go after vessels. However, not all of the orcas involved have experienced trauma, which has led to multiple theories about why the attacks are occurring.

Killer Whales Attacking Boats May Be a “Fad”

Scientists who have been studying the trend of killer whales attacking vessels’ rudders have recognized that there is no malice behind the orcas damaging boats. Instead, it appears to be a “fad” that has gained traction among the killer whales participating in the activity.

According to Alfredo López Fernández, an orca researcher at the Atlantic Orca Working Group, who has been monitoring killer whales off the Iberian coast, there are two theories behind why killer whales are breaking rudders. Regardless of which theory is believed, the underlying theme is that the orcas do not want to harm people.

Theories suggest that killer whales are participating in breaking the rudders under the “fun or fashion hypothesis” or the “trauma hypothesis.” The first indicates that younger orcas are breaking the rudder simply because it is a game. In the latter, older orcas are breaking the rudder in response to perhaps getting caught in fishing line or even struck by a ship in the past, and not wanting any other whale in the pod to experience the same.

“The orcas are not showing an aggressive attitude in all of this, even though they may break something,” López explains to the BBC. “We know that it’s a complex behavior that has nothing to do with aggression (they don’t want to eat anyone, nor harm humans) nor revenge (orcas are not resentful).”

López continues, saying, “We don’t know which one of these is correct, and even if it’s the second one, we don’t know what might have been the triggering event.”

Until the reason behind the killer whales’ attacks on boats in their migration paths is discovered, boaters are being advised on how to avoid becoming the next victim of this damaging behavior.

What Boaters Can Do to Keep Killer Whales from Attacking Vessels

While orcas tend to target sailboats, the whales have attacked different types of ships over the last several years. Consequently, anyone venturing through “Brest in France and through the Bay of Biscay, Iberian Peninsula, Gibraltar Straits, north Moroccan coast and along Spain’s Mediterranean coastline,” is warned to know what to do if approached by a pod of killer whales.

Sailors are being encouraged to practice the following tactics if it appears orcas are going to engage in ruining a rudder:

• Bring the boat to a stop

• Not locking the rudder in place, but instead keeping it loose

• Radio for help

• Do not throw anything at the orcas involved in breaking the rudder

• Remain calm

When orcas go after a rudder, the damage done has been minimal enough that sailors can get back to port under their own power. However, there are other instances where breaking the rudder has caused a hole in a ship, resulting in it sinking. This is why following these recommendations is so essential, as, while a vessel may ultimately be damaged, lives can be saved by keeping the ship afloat.

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