WHALE OF A TIME
Mystery over boat-ramming killer whales blamed for sinking yachts solved as scientists uncover reason for orca attacks
Killer whales are known as ferocious apex predators, but their behavior may have a playful twist
ORCAS know exactly what they're doing when they ram into boats - and now scientists have proposed an explanation.
The peculiar behavior has captured public interest and sparked a spate of internet memes.
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A lighthearted theory emerged among netizens that the creatures were taking "revenge" against a human presence in their waters.
This came after a series of highly publicized collisions, including an instance in late July where a pod of orcas tipped over a 39-foot yacht.
At the time, the owner claimed the act was intentional, proclaiming the killer whales "knew exactly what they were doing."
And a new theory suggests that may be the case.
A study published June 18 in presents compelling evidence that orcas use boats for target practice as they learn to hunt.
Researchers at the Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute in Spain noted an increase in reports of "interactive behavior" with vessels around the Iberian Peninsula since 2020.
They believe juvenile orcas might be honing in on the boats' rudders as they practice hunting Atlantic bluefin tuna.
The researchers pored over population distribution data and found that 47% of 597 records of killer whale occurrences involved a vessel.
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Using this information, they created computer models of the orcas' movements to paint a picture of their seasonal movements.
The models demonstrated that the orcas and their prey - tuna, not boats - were driven by the same environmental factors.
A selection of the worst Orca attack on boats in 2023
Notably, seasonal shifts in the orcas' preferred habitats aligned with the tuna's migration.
Orcas are apex predators, meaning they sit at the top of the food chain with no natural predators of their own.
This responsibility comes with a generous appetite. Killer whales have a varied diet ranging from larger mammals like seals to fish, squid, and sea birds.
Different orca communities prefer different food sources, with the Iberian population favoring tuna.
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"The abundance of Atlantic bluefin tuna...in the area, particularly during spring and summer, has led to a significant dietary focus on this fish species, at least during the mentioned seasons, for this killer whale population," the scientists wrote.
Scientists suspect the plentiful supply - fueled, in part, by conservation efforts - makes hunting easier and leaves the orcas with leisure time.
Killer whales are highly social animals that work in close-knit groups to catch prey. To isolate an individual tuna from a school, they ram. Once they've succeeded, they exhaust the fish and chase it towards shallower waters.
Based on anecdotal evidence, the scientists believe the orcas are performing similar actions by repeatedly ramming the rudder before trying to take a bite.
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In addition to clearing up a common misconception, the conclusions may impact killer whale conservation.
As a species, orcas are woefully misunderstood, and boat-ramming does not help their reputation.
There have been no reports of fatal attacks on humans in their natural habitat, but the creatures are often perceived as bloodthirsty beasts.
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In addition to improving public perception, a better understanding of orca behavior could help boaters avoid collisions and reduce property damage.
"This approach aims to provide valuable insights into the habitat preferences of this species with the potential to enhance conservation efforts by informing strategies to mitigate human-killer whale interactions," the scientists wrote.
Orcas - How dangerous are they?
Orcas - also known as killer whales - are the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family.
The creatures are dubbed "killer whales" as they hunt and eat other smaller species of dolphin.
Some also feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals like seals and other dolphins.
They're known as apex predators meaning they're at the top of the food-chain and no other animals feed on them.
There are no recorded incidents of orcas attacking humans before the bizarre boat-bashings, but they have been known to feast on other land-dwelling mammals like moose who swim between islands.
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