Attack off the coast of Gibraltar: killer whales attack yachts in the Ocean Race sailing race – Bitten to the rudder

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Two sailing teams were hit by an orca attack off the coast of Gibraltar. «Jajo» from the Netherlands and «Mirpuri Trifork Racing» from Portugal. Both teams then said there were no injuries or damage to the boat, although the orcas crashed into the boats and in one instance also rammed the boat and bit the oars.

Team Jajo’s skipper Jelmer van Beek reported from See: «20 minutes ago we were attacked by orcas. They came right at us and banged the oars. It was impressive to see the orcas. Beautiful animals, but also a dangerous moment for us as a team.” The sailing crew reacted calmly. “We lowered the sails and braked the boat as quickly as possible. Fortunately, they withdrew after a few attacks. That was a bit of a shock,’ says Van Beek. The Gibraltar area is known for killer whale attacks on yachts.

Interactions, as the killer whale boat encounters are officially called, began in 2020 along Spain’s Atlantic coast, specifically between Cadiz and Tangier, Morocco. There are a particularly large number of killer whales. The animal welfare organization GT Orca Atlántica (GTOA) speaks of 500 attacks from 2020 to 2022.

Why do killer whales behave so atypically?

Scientists and marine authorities wonder what drives the animals to behave in such atypical ways. “We know very little about the reasons for these interactions,” emphasizes José Luis García Varas, head of the marine protection program of the environmental organization WWF in Spain.

This, of course, promotes the formation of legends. The attacks are mainly attributed to a clan of killer whales led or led by a matriarch named Gladis. It is said that Gladis may have had a painful encounter with a boat and therefore taught her relatives to attack the boats.

Whale expert Renaud de Stephanis thinks it’s possible the orcas just wanted to play. But he doesn’t want to rule out hostility either. “We still don’t have a definitive statement,” said the president of the Circe organization, which researches and protects whales. (SDA)

Source: Blick