Killer Whales Attack Ships in Retaliation for Injured Leader
Killer whales have been attacking and sinking ships off the coast of Spain as an act of revenge. Experts are concerned that the other whales in the pod are learning from these aggressive behaviors.
Werner Schafelberger, the captain of a ship that was attacked by killer whales, spoke to the German publication Yacht about the incident. He said, “The smaller whales were rocking the rudder at the back while the larger one repeatedly rammed the ship with full force from one side. Two smaller killer whales observed the larger one’s tactics and then also charged at the ship.”
Hundreds of confrontations between killer whales and boats have occurred off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula since May 2020, causing minor injuries and damage to both humans and vessels.
However, the frequency of these attacks is increasing, and some have resulted in ships sinking. The most recent attack took place in May.
Marine biologist Alfredo Lopez Fernandez told LiveScience that the lead killer whale may have collided with a ship or become entangled in fishing gear, leading to a “moment of extreme pain” and a subsequent increase in aggression.
Sailors and other witnesses reported that the killer whales approached boats from behind, targeting the rudder or hull.
“The injured whale is the one initiating the boat-ramming behavior. Initially, we didn’t believe that killer whales were teaching the smaller ones to damage ships, and we thought the behavior was simply mimicked. However, later on, they regarded ship-ramming as a matter of life or death for their survival,” said Fernandez.
Fernandez also mentioned that four killer whales from the pod have died since May 2020. The ship-ramming behavior may have spread beyond the affected pod.
Recently, a British couple shared their experience of a killer whale attack near the coast of Morocco. Janet Morris and Stephen Bidwell from Cambridge, in eastern England, were enjoying a sailing trip off the coast of Morocco when they encountered a pod of killer whales attacking their boat.
The attack lasted for an hour as the whales continuously rammed the vessel, but the crew managed to maneuver to a calm and safe area of water.
“We tried to remain calm, but everyone was silently praying,” Morris told the UK news agency SWNS.
The increasing aggression of killer whales towards ships is a cause for concern and requires further research to understand the motivations behind these retaliatory attacks.
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