Why are orcas attacking boats off the coast of Spain?
Orcas, also known as killer whales, are the apex predator of the ocean. The only thing not on the menu for these amazing predators are large adult whales, who are simply too big to take down. Even the Great White Shark knows to avoid them.
Thankfully for us, human beings are simply not a target prey item. The reason for this remains unexplained.
Dan Kriz, a yacht captain working for Reliance Yacht Management, had his boat attacked twice by a pod of orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar. This area separates North Africa and Europe, along the coast of Spain’s Iberian Peninsula. Captain Kriz explained that the first attack on his delivery vessel happened in 2020. Eight orcas appeared and pushed the boat for an hour before finally leaving.
A Highly Intelligent Apex Predator
The attacks show the intelligence that killer whales have. Cetaceans generally are among the smartest animals on Earth, alongside apes and some families of birds. They have been observed creating large waves to knock prey off of ice bergs and into the water. Captain Kriz, after enduring the second attack, said that they’re learning how to attack boats faster than before and they were quieter this time around. Captain Kriz explained further that the first time they attacked, the killer whales were a lot louder as they were communicating with each other more. They learned how to disable a ship even faster after doing it before. Captain Kriz and others on board were not hurt during either encounter.
There are other things that make killer whales so formidable. They work together in large groups, called pods. They also grow up to 30 feet long. All three of these factors – size, intelligence and working together – make them a formidable apex predator.
The killer whales who’ve been attacking ships didn’t go after the people. Killer whales are smart enough to find a way to go after us, even when we’re on boats. It’s possible that the orcas are smart enough to know that escalating their attacks against us carries inherent risk as they aren’t completely familiar with us as a species.
Revenge for Trauma
One of the popular hypotheses by zoologists for orcas attacking boats, is that the attacks on boats is due to a traumatized orca named “White Gladis.” Experts believe that White Gladis was either trapped by fishing activities or being hit by a boat. Afterwards, she responded by going after boats. This lead to other killer whales engaging in the same behavior. More intelligent animals like orcas, can learn new behaviors rapidly.
Just a fun fad?
Killer whales, just like other cetaceans, are capable of doing things for fun, that are detrimental to other sea life. Other dolphins have been documented killing porpoises purely for the fun of it. They didn’t even eat the porpoises afterward. Killer whales are the same way and may possibly see this activity as nothing more than fun horseplay. If this is the case, the whales will possibly grow tired of this and move onto other activities.
It’s also possible that some killer whales are attacking boats for different reasons. As the behavior has caught on among the population, some orcas may be attacking ships for fun, while others are attacking ships for revenge. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to really know.
Possible Options for this Problem
There are two extreme viewpoints in regard to this problem that I think can be dismissed outright. On one side we have people who believe that the whales should simply be shot the next time this happens. On the other side there are people who seem to be cheering on these attacks because of how anti-capitalist they are. Twitter and other social media are filled with memes and support from these people.
Both of these extremes should be ignored.
Solutions for this can include finding effective ways to scare off the whales without actually hurting them. Whales are sensitive to sound and emitting loud noises underwater could potentially deter orca encounters. For instance, the sonar used by the U.S. Navy for finding enemy vessels is so loud that it can be deafening to marine life, especially marine mammals.
Even though the killer whales are not currently going after people, ship crews can arm themselves on the off chance that they find themselves in the water and need to defend themselves.
Portent of a New Trend
In recent years, there have been a few cases of killer whales ramming and sinking ships. According to those who are sailing around the Iberian Peninsula frequently, the attacks are almost daily.
What will the future hold for orcas and and humans? Hopefully, this entire problem will prove to largely be a temporary anomaly. There are similar cases of individual animals that, for one reason or other, become personally aggressive or antagonistic to humans.
An obvious example includes the albino sperm whale that became the inspiration for Moby Dick. The whale’s actual name was Mocha Dick and it was known for ramming into ships and sinking them. Around twenty of them were sunk in total. It should be noted that Mocha Dick only became aggressive after being attacked by whalers first.
Conclusion:
So far, this problem has not yet escalated into something too serious. There have been no fatalities from this phenomenon. This year may be the peak of this behavior. Maybe the killer whales will simply get bored of doing this and move onto other activities as some have said. Hopefully, this will be the case.
If things escalate, then we will have to be proactive about protecting ourselves and our ships when sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar or nearby areas. Crews should be equipped with weaponry that can adequately defend a ship or individuals who might be attacked.
The future should be one where killer whales and people are once again, getting along with each other.
