Since 2020, hundreds of boats on the coasts Spain, Portugal and Morocco suffered from killer whale attack. They usually come in small groups and attack boats, mostly poisoning themselves mast and rudder. They do not, under any circumstances, attack people on board. They just persistently hit all types of yachts, sailboats and other pleasure craft. None of these attacks have been reported in recent months, but a new incident was recently reported involving several killer whales very close to Strait of Gibraltar.
The animals approached a yacht sailing in Moroccan waters and began to hit the boat, concentrating their energy on the rudder. The ship began to flood, causing horror among its crew, who were fortunately rescued by a nearby oil tanker. The yacht, however, could not withstand the attack and As a result, he sank into the sea.
Most killer whale attacks do not end in the sinking of a boat, although this is not the first attack to end underwater. That doesn’t seem to be the purpose of these animals. In fact, although it is unclear what this purpose might be, most experts suggest that maybe killer whales are playing. The ship’s rudder is a kind of spinner huge, which you might find very funny. Boat owners aren’t as surprised, of course, but they don’t understand it.
Gladys’ Army
In the first killer whale attacks on boats, there was always a common factor: the presence of a female named Gladys. At first glance, it seemed that she was teaching her companions to attack yachts and sailboats. The animal soon became a meme and an icon that many people adore: an anti-capitalist killer whale that attacks the boats of the rich. But, logically, That wasn’t Gladys’ goal.
Biologists monitoring killer whales believe that Gladys died because they did not observe her for a long time either during attacks or while swimming in the sea. Why then are there still killer whale attacks? Does this mean that Gladys has left an army ready to attack the ships?
Two hypotheses about killer whale attacks
Scientists are still unclear about the reason for the killer whale attack, but there are two main hypotheses. On the one hand, since Gladys was the first to get on the boat, she may have had traumatic encounter with a yacht or sailboat. Perhaps you accidentally collided with one of them and suffered some kind of injury. Or maybe he got caught in fishing nets.
Be that as it may, the hypothesis suggests that he managed to free himself, but he harbored a certain resentment and fear towards boats of this type, which is why he got into the habit of attacking them when they met.
Another hypothesis, as we have already seen, has many more supporters and point to the game. Killer whales are cuddly animals. They love to play and to do this they use any resource that they find in the sea. They were actually seen playing by throwing seals at each other before eating them. It’s something scary, especially for seals, but for them it’s still a form of play.
In the case of ships, we see that they always attack rudder or mast, so they might be interested in playing with these objects. They don’t attack boats in a violent manner, they’re just having a great time.
These are not armies
The fact that killer whale attacks occur in groups and continue to occur year after year suggests that this is a trained army. Perhaps Gladys. But this is very unlikely.
It is much more likely that they are imitating each other, since this is a very common behavior. The killer whale develops new behaviors, such as using dead fish as a capand soon after, dozens of them do the same.
Therefore, the main hypothesis is that some killer whales saw Gladys attacking ships for some reason and copied her behavior without her prompting. Perhaps they enjoyed the experience so much that they continued to do it, forcing other classmates to imitate them. Over time, without Gladys’ participation, the orca attacks continue because They continue to imitate each other.
Why do killer whale attacks always happen at the same time?
Killer whale attacks in the waters near the Strait of Gibraltar have been recorded since 2020. However, only last year they became much better known in society.
One of the first cases to receive much media attention was that of Swiss yacht Champagnewhich was attacked by a group of killer whales in May 2023. This year the first yacht was recorded Alboran Cognacwhich was attacked last Sunday.
If we leave aside the alcoholic coincidence in their names, it is striking that the first attacks of the year occur in the month of May. But there is an explanation for this.
One of the killer whales’ favorite foods is bluefin tuna. They usually live in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, but when the breeding season approaches, they move to the much warmer waters of the Mediterranean Sea. This breeding occurs in June, so in May the fish are in full migration through strait of Gibraltar. This attracts the killer whales, who along the way decide to stop and play with the boats, causing others to imitate them. Year after year.
This has already been delivered locators killer whales to at least avoid attacks as much as possible. But in any case, one thing is clear: it is the boats that invade someone else’s territory. This is very sad, but it is a reality that we must accept if we decide to set sail.
Source: Hiper Textual
