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I was quite surprised when I saw the first reports of that and find them equally faszinating and terrifying. I am wondering, what started this behavior by the O

by _ph_ 5y ago

I was quite surprised when I saw the first reports of that and find them equally faszinating and terrifying. I am wondering, what started this behavior by the Orcas and whether this is in any way connected to them increasingly killing other whales. It is probably way to naive to assume that they mistake boats for prey as they are highly intelligent animals. They seem to know what fishing boats are and are known to steal fishes from long lines. These attacks seem to primarily target the rudders. Of course this is the one part of the boat they can easily damage, most hulls should be able to withstand the attacks better. Also, attacking the fins is probably very universal, when you are attacking another aquatic animal. I wonder, how much the Orcas can understand the extend to which boats depend on the rudders though.

helsinkiandrew 5y ago
There's a number of theories. The drop in food along the Portugese/Spanish Atlantic cost. Some of the attacking Orcas also have visible scars caused by boats and as these attacks increased after the Covid lockdowns it could have realized that the underwater noise before was caused by ships and are angry when shipping started again: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/13/the-tale-of-the-killer-whales https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/13/the-tale... "What explains the new behaviour? Was there reduced noise during the Covid lockdown? Selling says yes. “No big game fishing, no whale watching or sailing boats, no fast ferries, fewer merchant ships.” He’s intrigued by the idea that the orca had two months with reduced noise – “Something most of them probably never experienced before” – and considers the possibility they felt angry as the noise restarted"
- _ph_ 5y ago
  If it is the noise, where all attacked ships running under engine or where some of them sailing? The sailing boats wouldn't make any especial noise. Unless the Orcas developed a sudden hate for all boats.

by _ph_ 5y ago

helsinkiandrew 5y ago

There's a number of theories. The drop in food along the Portugese/Spanish Atlantic cost. Some of the attacking Orcas also have visible scars caused by boats and as these attacks increased after the Covid lockdowns it could have realized that the underwater noise before was caused by ships and are angry when shipping started again: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/13/the-tale-of-the-killer-whales https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/13/the-tale... "What explains the new behaviour? Was there reduced noise during the Covid lockdown? Selling says yes. “No big game fishing, no whale watching or sailing boats, no fast ferries, fewer merchant ships.” He’s intrigued by the idea that the orca had two months with reduced noise – “Something most of them probably never experienced before” – and considers the possibility they felt angry as the noise restarted"

_ph_ 5y ago
If it is the noise, where all attacked ships running under engine or where some of them sailing? The sailing boats wouldn't make any especial noise. Unless the Orcas developed a sudden hate for all boats.