According to a study published in June 2022 in the journal Marine Mammal Science, reports of aggressive encounters with killer whales off the Iberian coast, which mainly comprises Portugal and Spain, have become more frequent since May 2020.
Attacks appear to be aimed primarily at sailing boats and follow a consistent pattern, with orcas approaching the stern to hit the rudder.
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Once they manage to stop the boat, the orcas lose interest and cease their attack. This pattern suggests a specific behavior of killer whales in these interactions with vessels in the region.
Whales attack boats in Europe
Recently, an incident occurred involving three killer whales (Orcinus orca), also known as killer whales, attacking and sinking a third boat off the Iberian coast of Europe.
The incident took place on the night of May 4, in the Strait of Gibraltar, off the coast of Spain, when orcas pierced the rudder of the yacht.
Experts are now looking into possible mimicking behavior among orcas, as other similar sightings have been reported in the region.
It is believed that this behavior may be being copied by the local orca population. According to Captain Werner Schaufelberger's report to the German magazine yacht, in the incident involving the killer whales, two smaller and one larger killer whale were sighted.
According to the testimony, the smaller orcas rocked the rudder at the back of the boat, while the larger orca repeatedly backed up and slammed it full force into the boat. ship by the side. The captain's account provides additional details on the dynamics of the orcas attacking the boat.
According to Schaufelberger, he observed the smaller killer whales imitating the behavior of the larger killer whale. After the incident, the crew was rescued by Spanish coastguards, who towed the boat to Barbate.
However, the boat ended up sinking at the entrance to the port. The situation highlights the seriousness of the attack by the orcas and its consequences for the vessel.
According to López Fernández, in an email communication to Live Science, most encounters between orcas and boats on the Iberian coast have been harmless.
Of more than 500 interaction events recorded since 2020, only three ships have sunk. It is estimated that orcas come into contact with only one ship in every hundred that sail in the area.
The increase in aggression against boats is a recent phenomenon, according to López Fernández. The researchers believe that a traumatic event may have triggered a change in behavior in an orca, which was then imitated by the rest of the population.
In turn, this “imitation” may explain the increasing frequency of orca attacks on boats in different parts of the region.
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