Orca carrying out attacks on sail boats off the coast of Spain are doing it for an “adrenaline shot”, a researcher has said.
The attacks began in 2020 and at least 130 incidents have spooked sailors since, according to Spanish reports.
Last month, British sailors had to be rescued after the animals wrecked the hull of their yacht off the coast of Gibraltar and the boat started sinking.
In a nail-biting video, April Boyes, on board the vessel, can be heard saying: “Jesus, oh my God,” as each thud causes more damage to the boat, eventually destroying the rudder and piercing the hull.
Last Thursday, Dutch sailing team Team JAJO fell victim to an attack in the Atlantic Ocean to the west of Gibraltar while competing in The Ocean Race.
But a marine biologist, who Spanish authorities have commissioned to investigate the orcas’ behaviour, said they are ramming boats for fun and not out of malicious motives.
Renaud de Stephanis told El Mundo that what the animals are looking for is a reaction to their game, to give them “a kind of beastly adrenaline shot”.
“Don’t ask me how they started it because I don’t know, and I don’t think anyone ever will. What we do think is that it is a simple game for them,” he said.
On their approach to Gibraltar this afternoon, Team JAJO encountered a pod of orcas which led to a scary moment on board the VO65! Thankfully, the crew and the boat are unharmed. The Dutch boat skippered by Jelmer van Beek is back on its way to Genova.#TheOceanRace #VO65Sprint pic.twitter.com/jbW7j1iFMr
— The Ocean Race (@theoceanrace) June 22, 2023
Mr de Stephanis is completing a report on the orcas that will be given to the Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition, in a bid to prevent further boat rescues.
He said: “If two or three killer whales really attacked a sailboat, they would sink it in a matter of seconds. We as humans can tell that it is an attack.
“But without wanting to make the matter less serious, a furious attack by that animal can have much worse consequences for a boat and for whoever is on board than a mere feeling of fear for a few minutes, until they leave.”
The orca thought to be initiating the playful attacks has a deep scar on its back, suspected to be caused by hitting an engine propeller.
“We believe that she is at the origin of everything,” Mr Stephanis told El Mundo.
“Today she is a subjuvenile orca. She belongs to a family of seven members and as far as we know, she is the most active of all.”
Underwater cameras have helped researchers capture numerous videos of the orcas since the incidents began in 2020.
One animal has been tagged with a geolocation system, which provides teams with satellite coverage for around 10 hours a day.
