Animal Life - Orcas
"Orca Attacks!"
While it may be easy to understand why they would want to target our boats, experts are denying that these actions are based on intimidation.
For one, we know that orcas are playful creatures. Andrew Trites, director of the Marine Mammal Research Unit at the University of British Columbia, notes they are mimicking play behavior of other killer whales, suggesting it is being positively reinforced.
Secondly, he believes viewing these instances as attacks could lead to misunderstandings about the animal, much like the fear of great white sharks instilled in us by movies.
A boat captain whose ship was struck is afraid people might start shooting the orcas, taking matters into their own hands, believing they need to protect themselves.
Encounters have been documented off the southern coasts of Spain and Portugal since 2020. An orca approaches from behind, strikes the rudder repeatedly, sometimes until it is broken. A boat may be immobilized, and some have taken on water, but no humans have been injured.
There may be some truth to a trauma though. A marine biologist in Spain, Monica Gonzalez, believes White Gladis was either hit by a vessel or entangled in a fishing net, causing her to ram boats as she was pregnant and after giving birth. "Her decision to potentially jeopardize her newborn's safety suggests she'd suffered a severely traumatic incident."
#TeamOrca has gained popularity, even the First Nations gave their endorsement.
"We need to respect territories we share, whether it's land or water, because we aren't as far up on the food chain as we like to think as a species," says Hawli Pichette.
But again, the danger will fall on the orcas more if we view this as them against us.
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