It may have been a traumatic incident that an orca named “White Gladis” had experienced a “critical moment of agony” involving a boat that began a terrible and scary trend of orcas seemingly sinking sailboats in Europe, however not every scientist agrees.
That traumatized orca is the one that started this behavior of physical contact with the boat. The orcas are doing this on purpose
Live Science biologist Lopez Fernandez
According to Live Science, some researchers think that one particular orca may have taught other killer whales, who have been making aggressive encounters with sailboats for the last few years off the Iberian coast. The number of incidents have increased lately; as reported whale attacks targeting the rudders of 45 feet sailboats are now believed being “copied by the rest of the population.”
Beginning on May 4, three orcas attacked a boat’s rudder in the Strait of Gibraltar. The smaller orcas shook the rudder, and the larger orca repeatedly rammed the side of the ship. After the smaller orcas observed the bigger one ramming the side of the boat, they both joined in to help. The passengers and crew were rescued, but the boat did wind up sinking.
Other scientists are not buying into the “getting even” mantra by the orcas, and insist the whales are being more playful than aggressive. Biologist Dr. Renaud de Stephanis told BBC the whales are constantly playing, and they seem to be enjoying their antics.
I’ve seen them hunting. you don’t hear or see them. They are stealthy, they sneak up on their prey. ..these guys they are playing.
Dr. de Stephanis
Iberian orcas are considered critically endangered, and although three sailboat attacks are serious, the orcas only touch one out of every hundred ships sailing through the area. Maybe they are playing, and maybe they will just lose interest? Fortunately, there has never been a fatal attack on a human in the wild.
Orcas kept in captivity, however are a different matter. Tragically, in 2010, Tilikum killed his trainer, Dawn Branchau, 40, who, during a show had been rubbing him, when the whale grabbed the woman by her ponytail and pulled her deep into the water. He was also responsible for two other deaths, however the details have always been rather vague as to what happened.
Tilikum, who had been in captivity for 33 years died at SeaWorld Orlando in 2017 from a lung infection.
Tilikum had been the model for the 2013 documentary Blackfish which told the heartbreaking life the whale endured and the stress he had to put up with while kept in captivity.
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WHALE POWER! FINALLY, THEY ARE FIGHTING BACK! GO WHALES!