Why are killer whales attacking boats?

Reports of killer whales attacking boats are on the rise. Here's what you need to know about orcas and why they are attacking boats in the ocean

Transcript

00:00We are under attack, the rudder is gone, the rudder is gone, we are not taking off yet.

00:13Reports of killer whales chasing and attacking boats have flooded social media in recent weeks.

00:22The first reported instances of these attacks, which experts call disruptive behavior,

00:27date back to 2020 when 52 interactions were reported.

00:33More followed with 197 reported in 2021 and 207 reported in 2022.

00:40The idea of being kick flipped to Jesus is not the way that I plan to go to heaven in this planet.

00:45Experts have been able to use recent videos and images of the interactions

00:49to track the instances to a specific group of Iberian orcas and believe the same 20 to

00:5530 killer whales within that group are the attackers. Some think the string of interactions

01:01are an act of revenge started by one female orca that was struck by a boat. The theory

01:05also suggests that the animals taught one another how to carry out the attacks.

01:10Others, however, have disputed that claim and have their own theories. At least one

01:14expert thinks the end of the pandemic and return to leisurely boating irritated the

01:18orcas after they became accustomed to the calmer waters. Another thinks it could be

01:23a kind of new game that the animals are trying to pass down. And the experts say game because

01:28there's no reward involved, like food. On the occasions when the orcas have sunk boats

01:32and forced the passengers onto tenders, the animals have never attacked.

01:41The Atlantic Orca Working Group, which has been tracking these interactions and theories,

01:46said the issue is a huge concern, not only for the boaters, but also for the orcas,

01:50who could be shot, killed, or harmed by humans trying to escape them. With at least 43 attacks

01:56already reported in 2023, the group said there's an urgent need for specific actions

02:01to avoid future damage to people, orcas, and boats.