Orca 'Attacks': The Truth About The Orca Uprising

The Critically Endangered Strait of Gibraltar Orcas have been ‘attacking’ and damaging boats since 2020. With a recent incident in the North Sea, there is speculation as to whether this behaviour is spreading to other Orca populations. But are the Orcas actually ‘attacking’ yachts or are they just ‘playing’?

Sources:
Why Are Killer Whales Attacking Boats?

Incredible Hunting Strategies Of Hungry Orcas

Link to video of Orcas investigating racing Yacht

[albigensiac]

I am an Indigenous Canadian. Indigenous people on the West Coast (Tlingit, Haida etc.) have been living with orcas for well over 1, 000 years. We can tell you that bumping/"attacking" boats is something orcas have been doing since time immemorial. In fact, folks, google the legend of Natsilane, itself a many-centuries-old Native legend about how the orca was created and why. Orcas do not attack humans. They don't harm or kill us. It's all about the boats. People, including so-called experts and researchers, need to learn a bit more about orca behaviour, and to stop assigning human qualities and faults (such as revenge) to them. People also need to notice facts such as... In 1500, the population of the ENTIRE EARTH was only 450 MILLION people. Now we are at 8 BILLION. That's in only 523 years???? We are taking phenomenal amounts of fish out of the oceans. And inserting a hell of a lot of garbage into it, in the place of fish. This is creating food shortages for the orcas and many other marine animals. Natives believe that orcas are like the "policemen of the sea" and that they butt boats to say "Smarten up, humans. Be moral." Anyway, do look up the legends of Natsilane and the Blackfish (<---which is what we call them.) If nothing else they can tell you that hitting boats is NOT a new and mysterious behaviour. They've always done this, when they want us to think about the effects of our own behaviour.

[evweath]

The reason why Orcas are attacking boats off of the strait of Gibraltar is because Spanish tuna fisherman have been using sticks of dynamite in attempts to drive the Orcas away from their catches. The concussions from these explosions could seriously injure or kill Orcas not to mention taking their food.

[patreekotime]

One of the more interesting accounts I read was of a fishing crew who saw orcas and began beating on the hull to try to "scare them away". This resulted in the orcas violently attacking the boats. It made me wonder how many of the more aggressive interactions were reciprocal in nature. Is it "traditional" for fishermen to try to scare off orcas from their fishing ground? Is this something like the interaction between ranchers and wolves in the American West? I feel like there's a very human element to this story that just isn't being reported. It wouldn't be the first time that humans have attempted to demonize a natural predator in their own native hunting grounds. And it wouldnt be the first time humans have lied about their own behaviors or justified bad behavior because of economic pressure.

On the converse side, Ive read several accounts now where sailors saw orcas and simply shut down their motors or dropped sail and let their craft sit still. The orcas nudged the craft, seemed to become bored and moved on to a different boat. If this is a play behavior, making boats "less fun" may deincentivise the behavior.

Great video. Thank you for the update!

[puirYorick]

The precise reason(s) why may remain a moot question. The crux of this development is that our species are NOT meant to physically interact for any reason. This includes our alleged scientific curiosity and our alleged eco-tourism encounters. Humans need to leave other creatures alone in their habitats. We don't need to figure out how to tame or exploit everything we meet. Just allow other beings to exist in peace.

[laurametheny]

Very good vid. Thank you for not referring to them as "killer whales", not even once! I agree that they could very well be curious about the propellars, and young ones especially might see them as possible prey or "toys". Then again the one Gladis might be a bit angry at the damn boats too. Injuries and also the fact that they are in Orca tuna hunting grounds, and conceivably taking their favorite food. Like you said WE are the encroachers. That is their HOME. They have no choice. They cant walk out of the water and go visit a bar to calm down...💔🐬🙏

[dustind]

I've said it before, I'll say it again: these are highly intelligent, social pack hunters that weigh 7.2 metric tons and have a bite force that's only exceeded by salt water crocodiles. Their hearing and eyesight are astonishing, they can understand fairly complex ideas and they absolutely can tell the difference between a boat and the people in it. If a pod of orcas wanted a human body count in open water, they'd get a human body count. The boating community will doubtless be out for blood, and some of them are quite well connected and funded, but bottom line if this were aggression in a meaningful sense there would be far, far fewer survivors.

I know this is kind of preaching to the choir but everyone needs to remind people of this point. Nothing we've lost to these behaviors has been irreplaceable, and given how much we put orcas through, if they were people we'd probably understand the desire for revenge.

[jdsmith]

Only a human would be so ignorant to think that another creature on this planet doesn't have the capability of thought

[Raptorman]

Since the rudder is usually very close to the propeller and it is the propeller more than anything that can harm an Orca I think it is not unreasonable to surmise that it is an aggressive display. They may blame the rudder, but it is the prop that is the thing that hurts them the most. There is an image floating around that shows a whale with a dozen of so diagonal slashes on its back (top) that had to have been caused by a boat prop.

[colinboniface]

Finally, an authentic overview of this behavior... While these interactions have been interrupted as attacks, I suspect that label has more to do with the fear of the occupants of the boats rather than the ferocity of the interactions. The racing yacht underwater footage is a key to the behavior... The Orca did not charge the rudder, they nudged it, or rubbed it with there nose or top of there head., Investigative behavior, or just a scratch on the head. I have not seen tooth marks of the damaged yacht rudders in any of the prolific videos of these stated attacks...I have observed Orca shredding a stingray from 50 meters away in a harbor while I was on my mooring. They swam past me some 10 meters away, and hell yes, I was in a raised state of excitement. They actually were herding stingray to the shallow shore, and proceeded to attack them eating there lunch... Now that is what I would call aggressive, and that is witnessing the power of these Orca. None of the Orca attack video's published show Orca behavior, or Orca aggression, like that which I witnessed during there hunt next to me. All of the videos demonstrate a very mild quriosity like behavior. Trust me, If an Orca was angry or wanted to kill a boat, You would know all right... They are so powerful, the ocean would be like a washing machine and you would be no doubt, What we have see thus far, is just play... There is video footage of an Orca picking up a yacht anchor, and towing the yacht around a small harbor. What great fun... They are a Dolphin after all...

[socket_error]

If you read the actual Guardian report of the N.Sea incident it is reported as "Soft taps" on the hull and not an "attack on the rudder" or "ramming" as the article alluded to. The 72yo man on the boat said he immediately thought of the Orca attacks off the Iberian Peninsula and thought he might be under attack as well. The truth is it was just a curious orca coming by to say hello.

[navion]

Your tenderness towards the Orcas is very sweet and appropriate. But I must take issue with the statement that “we are encroaching upon their environment”. Mankind has been given dominion over all the earth 🌏. However we are to care for the earth and all its creatures in the spirit of care that you suggest. God bless you.

[tomreichardt]

Perhaps the orca could be distracted from playing with rudders by providing them something more interesting to play with during a interaction. I might suggest jumping in a going for a swim.

[drjeffmorris]

I had a six beam sounder on my 40’ boat, and that used to upset the dolphins, and when I turn it off, the dolphins are not upset

[solospirit]

I was hoping you would do an update on this..I've been following the new reports with interest.
I agree that this is not intended to do damage...the interactions would be a lot more damaging if that were the case.
This be haviour actually reminds me of cats playing..its hunting behaviour, but done for fun.
Another informative video...I always look forward to Saturday updates here....TY🙂

[captainwin]

This behaviour needs to be stopped if only for the Orca's own benefit. All boats and yachts going to sea have anti-fouling paint on their hulls below the water line and also on their rudders. This paint is extremely toxic so any whales chewing on rudders, it isn't going to end well for them.
Since they're intelligent it should be easy to train them not to attack or mess with boats by something like playing loud noises through an underwater speaker each time they touch the boat. If they come to associate the loud noise with touching boats, they should stop touching boats.

[kevinboothby]

Whether it is play or not, yachtsmen want to know how to prevent this behavior, not merely minimize the damage. Losing a rudder is significant damage. Those yachts needed to be towed afterwards. People have a right to defend their persons and their property, against either a another person or an animal.

[wisecoconut]

I would be curious if orca are striking a particular hull and/or rudder shape. Not all boats are the same. Some boats are light for racing and just might be more fun for orca hacky sac!

[johntaylor]

I believe the orcas had been hurt by a boat they've got good memories

[googleuser-rrwr]

Well I watched this on the “American News” and they used words like killer whale and attacked over and over. This makes people less intelligent and more emotionally reactive. Your video is calm and knowledgeable-thus coming from an elder in our global community. Unfortunately the calm and knowledgeable elders messages are drowned out by emotional outrage and outbursts encumbered by advertising money, which makes more of us disconnected to truth, and thus more stupid.
I love your videos and so do many kids that need to hear your sage reports. I love you. Peace

[kirkglundal]

Thank you for informing the public on this!