Orcas teach each other to sink boats, experts say after a group of orcas attacked a British couple on vacation.
Scientists said they believe in 2020, an orca began reacting against a boat in retaliation after a “critical moment of pain.” But now other whales are mimicking this dangerous behavior.
This week Janet Morris and Stephen Bidwell of Cambridge were enjoying a sailing course off the coast of Morocco when they spotted a pod of orcas.
Some of the mammals then started bumping into the boat — an attack that lasted an hour, the pair claimed.
Also facing strong winds and big swells, the skilled crew managed to navigate to calmer waters – and to safety.
Janet Morris and Stephen Bidwell from Cambridge were enjoying a sailing course off the coast of Morocco when their boat was attacked by a pod of killer whales
The killer whales gave up the chase after an hour, but the boat’s steering failed, so they headed back to shore
Business consultant Janet, 58, said: ‘I couldn’t believe it when I saw them – it’s extremely rare. We were sitting ducks.
“We were incredibly calm, but inside we were like, ‘Oh my God.’
“Because everyone was calm, it felt okay, but we were terrified, only afterwards did we talk about being very scared.
‘We took our valuables and our passports and talked about getting the life raft ready.
‘It really didn’t help that the conditions for the orcas were bad. The boat moved a lot – it was difficult to distinguish one cause from another.
“The captain was very calm and orderly, getting everyone through.”
Photographer Stephen, also 58, said: ‘We all stayed calm because we were aware that if any of us got anxious it would be contagious.
“We were able to do that because the skipper was so calm.
A killer whale invades the sailboat during the hour-long attack
At least six of the deadly mammals began crashing into the boat – an attack that lasted an hour
“Orcas enjoy the thrill of the chase, so we would have preferred to keep quiet, but that was not possible because of the wind.”
According to research published in the journal Marine Mammal Science, there has been a significant increase in reports of violent interactions with killer whales off the Iberian coast since May 2020.
The attacks seem more aimed at sailboats and whales follow a pattern, with the mammals approaching quickly from the stern and then attacking the helm.
Researchers believe this behavior can be taught to young killer whales.
Study co-author and biologist at the University of Aveiro in Portugal told Alfredo López Fernandez Live Science: ‘The killer whales do this on purpose, of course, we don’t know the origin or the motivation, but defensive behavior based on trauma, as the origin of it all, is gaining strength every day.’
Janet and Stephen, who are qualified to charter and pilot sailboats, were on day two of a week-long course to clock sailing miles when the killer whales struck just seven miles from Tangiers on Tuesday, May 2.
The couple were taking a nap in preparation for their night watch when they were thumped on the hull and heard crew members yelling, “Orcas! Orcas!’ – so they hurried to the deck.
A killer whale invades the sailboat during the hour-long attack
At one point during the attack, the crew spotted the killer whales — believed to be at least six of them — chasing pieces of debris that looked like a sponge in the water.
The killer whales gave up the chase after an hour, but the boat’s steering failed, so they headed back to shore.
Back in port, they realized that the debris was debris from the rudder of the sailing yacht, a 14-meter Bavaria.
The pair will have another chance to do the course, Janet said.
She added: “We were on training to gain experience, and we will know what to do if this happens again.”
The Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Europe and Africa, is rather called ‘orca alley’ because of the large number of whales. There have been previous reports of whales attacking boats in the area.