An expert explains why killer whales keep attacking boats
1 year, 7 months ago

An expert explains why killer whales keep attacking boats

Salon  

Orcas living off Europe's Iberian coast recently struck and sunk a yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar. Scientists suspect that this is the third vessel this subpopulation of killer whales has capsized since May 2020, when a female orca believed to be the originator of this behaviour suffered a traumatic encounter with a boat. It is, of course, known to happen in other species – notably sperm whales, giving rise to the story of Moby Dick: a combination of accounts of a white whale off the South American coast dubbed "Mocha Dick", and the account of the whaler Essex, sunk by a large sperm whale in equatorial waters. If these killer whales continue attacking boats, it will make protecting them harder. These accounts raise interesting questions about the motivations behind orcas attacking boats that we cannot yet answer.

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History of this topic

Mediterranean Sea Horror: Killer whales sink $128,000 yacht in 2-hour coordinated attack
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Mediterranean Sea Horror: Killer whales sink $128,000 yacht in 2-hour coordinated attack

Hindustan Times  

In the Mediterranean Sea, a group of killer whales attacked and capsized a yacht worth $128,000. The crew on board the yacht were startled by the well-coordinated attack by the orcas, which lasted for about two hours, as per reports. The New York Post reported that only 22 hours into their 10-day journey from Vilamoura, Portugal, to Greece, Robert Powell, …

Another orca attack in Strait of Gibraltar: Are they seeking revenge or is it playful behaviour?
7 months, 1 week ago

Another orca attack in Strait of Gibraltar: Are they seeking revenge or is it playful behaviour?

Firstpost  

A pod of orcas has sunk a yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar. While some experts theorise that it may be revenge for the killing of an older orca, others note that it is playful behaviour by the mammals Another orca attack has taken place in the Strait of Gibraltar. Since 2020, killer whales …

Ships told to change routes as killer whales terrorise European coast
7 months, 1 week ago

Ships told to change routes as killer whales terrorise European coast

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In May 2023 alone there were 20 incidents between …

Spain warns boats of possible orca run-ins near the Strait of Gibraltar this summer
7 months, 1 week ago

Spain warns boats of possible orca run-ins near the Strait of Gibraltar this summer

Associated Press  

BARCELONA, Spain — After another ramming of a boat by an orca in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spanish authorities recommended small vessels stick to the coastline in that region to avoid often-scary interactions with killer whales during the summer. In the latest incident, two people aboard a 15-meter boat in Moroccan waters requested help from Spain’s maritime rescue service Sunday …

Orcas sink yacht in Strait of Gibraltar in latest incident of killer whales attacking boats
7 months, 1 week ago

Orcas sink yacht in Strait of Gibraltar in latest incident of killer whales attacking boats

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A pod of orcas has …

We've got orcas all wrong and it's killing them
11 months, 2 weeks ago

We've got orcas all wrong and it's killing them

Salon  

In November, killer whales again made headlines after sinking their fourth boat in the Strait of Gibraltar in two years. One 1937 killer whale encounter was described as “a tale of murder and marine slaughter,” even though the orcas were only hunting seals and no humans were harmed. The violent reaction traces back to the earliest documented interactions between humans …

Orcas sink another yacht in relentless 45-minute attack
1 year, 1 month ago

Orcas sink another yacht in relentless 45-minute attack

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The latest attack saw a pod of orcas target a yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar for about 45 …

Mystery behind killer whales killing porpoises without eating them finally unravelled
1 year, 2 months ago

Mystery behind killer whales killing porpoises without eating them finally unravelled

The Independent  

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Orca boat rammings in the Mediterranean are ‘just playful fad’ scientists say
1 year, 3 months ago

Orca boat rammings in the Mediterranean are ‘just playful fad’ scientists say

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. An orca moves along a …

Explained: Why killer whales continue to attack boats in Europe
1 year, 5 months ago

Explained: Why killer whales continue to attack boats in Europe

Firstpost  

The latest example of this occurred last week in Spain when a pod of Orcas, also known as killer whales, rammed into a boat near the Strait of Gibraltar. Experts seem divided between two theories —that the animals are either playing or some trauma spawned these incidents Orcas, also known as killer whales, are continuing to attack boats in Europe. …

Why are orcas suddenly ramming boats?
1 year, 5 months ago

Why are orcas suddenly ramming boats?

BBC  

Why are orcas suddenly ramming boats? It's an unprecedented phenomenon, says Alfredo López Fernández, an orca researcher at the Atlantic Orca Working Group, which is monitoring the Iberian orcas. They were really well organised - Andrea Fantini "20 minutes ago we got hit by some orcas," says Jelmer van Beek, the skipper of Dutch sailing team JAJO, in a video …

Orcas attacking boats: Could the spate of mysterious killer whale encounters be spreading beyond Gibraltar?
1 year, 6 months ago

Orcas attacking boats: Could the spate of mysterious killer whale encounters be spreading beyond Gibraltar?

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “That traumatised orca is the one that started this behaviour of physical contact with boats,” Dr Alfredo Lopez Fernandez, …

Orcas disrupt boat race near Spain in latest display of puzzling behaviour
1 year, 6 months ago

Orcas disrupt boat race near Spain in latest display of puzzling behaviour

The Hindu  

A pod of killer whales bumped one of the boats in an endurance sailing race as it approached the Strait of Gibraltar, the latest encounter in what researchers say is a growing trend of sometimes-aggressive interactions with Iberian orcas. No one was injured, but Team JAJO skipper Jelmer van Beek said in a video posted on The Ocean Race website …

Orcas disrupt boat race near Spain in latest display of dangerous, puzzling behavior
1 year, 6 months ago

Orcas disrupt boat race near Spain in latest display of dangerous, puzzling behavior

Associated Press  

A pod of killer whales bumped one of the boats in an endurance sailing race as it approached the Strait of Gibraltar, the latest encounter in what researchers say is a growing trend of sometimes-aggressive interactions with Iberian orcas. No one was injured, but Team JAJO skipper Jelmer van Beek said in a video posted on The Ocean Race website …

Video: Orcas attack Dutch team in Ocean Race; No injuries
1 year, 6 months ago

Video: Orcas attack Dutch team in Ocean Race; No injuries

NL Times  

Three orcas attacked the Dutch sailing team JAJO during a leg of the Ocean Race on Thursday. The team was in second place in the Ocean Race when the Orcas attacked and in fourth place once they could get sailing again. “As far as we can tell, the boat is also damage-free, but you can imagine that we were not …

Killer whale rams fisherman’s boat in UK waters during latest Orca attack
1 year, 6 months ago

Killer whale rams fisherman’s boat in UK waters during latest Orca attack

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Or to get rid of the fishing line.” Earlier in June a sailor told …

Why are killer whales going ‘Moby-Dick’ on yachts lately? Experts doubt it’s revenge
1 year, 6 months ago

Why are killer whales going ‘Moby-Dick’ on yachts lately? Experts doubt it’s revenge

LA Times  

An unusually large group of killer whales was spotted off the coast of San Francisco on May 7. The attacks started suddenly and inexplicably in the spring of 2020 — pods of endangered killer whales began ramming yachts and fishing boats in European waters, pushing some off course and imperiling others. “So, I just don’t really see it as an …

Astonishing moment killer whale rips off yacht's rudder with its teeth
1 year, 6 months ago

Astonishing moment killer whale rips off yacht's rudder with its teeth

Daily Mail  

This is the terrifying moment an orca whale circles a high-end yacht before savagely tearing off its rudder - leaving the boat's crew adrift off the coast of Gibraltar. The moment an orca whale began circling a yacht off the coast of Gibraltar was caught on camera The captain said he was among the first to have his boat attacked …

Why are orcas attacking boats? Gladis the killer whale, out for revenge on the yachts of Gibraltar
1 year, 6 months ago

Why are orcas attacking boats? Gladis the killer whale, out for revenge on the yachts of Gibraltar

The Independent  

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Killer whale attacks in Gibraltar could be thwarted by simple trick, expert says
1 year, 6 months ago

Killer whale attacks in Gibraltar could be thwarted by simple trick, expert says

The Independent  

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Killer whales wreck boat in latest attack off Spain
1 year, 6 months ago

Killer whales wreck boat in latest attack off Spain

The Hindu  

Killer whales severely damaged a sailing boat off the coast of southern Spain, the local maritime rescue service said on Thursday, adding to dozens of orca attacks on vessels recorded so far this year on Spanish and Portuguese coasts. In the early hours of Thursday, a group of orcas broke the rudder and pierced the hull after ramming into the …

Orcas Wreck Sailing Boat In Latest Incident Off Coast Of Spain
1 year, 6 months ago

Orcas Wreck Sailing Boat In Latest Incident Off Coast Of Spain

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING MADRID - Killer whales severely damaged a sailing boat off the coast of southern Spain, the local maritime rescue service said on Thursday, adding to dozens of orca attacks on vessels recorded so far this year on Spanish and Portuguese coasts. In the early hours of Thursday, a group of orcas broke the rudder and pierced the …

'Surgical' shark-killing orcas fascinate scientists
1 year, 9 months ago

'Surgical' shark-killing orcas fascinate scientists

The Hindu  

Scores of disembowelled sharks have washed up on a South African beach putting the spotlight on a pair of shark-hunting killer whales whose behaviour has fascinated scientists and wildlife enthusiasts. "The dead sharks are torn open at the pelvic girdle, they have Orca teeth marks known as rake marks on their pectoral fins and their liver is missing," said Alison …

Orcas recorded for the first time hunting and killing blue whales
2 years, 10 months ago

Orcas recorded for the first time hunting and killing blue whales

The Independent  

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Watch: Viral Video Shows Orca Jumping 15 Feet Into the Air During Bottlenose Dolphin Hunt
3 years, 7 months ago

Watch: Viral Video Shows Orca Jumping 15 Feet Into the Air During Bottlenose Dolphin Hunt

News 18  

The Orcas or killer sharks definitely scare swimmers with their fins as they hunt for their prey. However, a recent video captured by a group of divers on a boat shows how these marine animals can impress their audience as it hunts for food underwater. Miguel Cuevas of Cabo Pulmo Divers posted a video on his Instagram handle earlier this …

Orcas knock into sailboats, force Spain to limit yachting
4 years, 3 months ago

Orcas knock into sailboats, force Spain to limit yachting

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Spain has temporarily prohibited yachting …

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