Killer whales team up to attack boat – Captain shares eerie sound before ambush.

Whales Go Rogue, Perfecting Attack Techniques and Teaching Young to Imitate

A group of whales has been causing chaos in the Strait of Gibraltar, attacking boats off the coast of Spain. What’s even more alarming is that they seem to be perfecting their techniques and teaching their young to imitate them.

The aggressive behavior by pods of orcas, or killer whales, was first noticed in the spring of 2020. Since then, at least three boats have been sunk. One attack took place on May 4, when the Swiss sailing yacht ‘Champagne’ was attacked by three orcas just off Gibraltar so hard that the crew had to abandon it and sank a little later.

“Looks like they knew exactly what they are doing.”

The Orca Uprising is back in headlines after a new video shared by Florida-based “Catamaran Guru” showed for the first time the clear precision of orcas attacking their boat’s rudder.#ThatsWild
1/4https://t.co/pJ3RmJp2TB

— Center for Biological Diversity (@CenterForBioDiv) June 11, 2023

Captain Dan Kriz, who delivers yachts in the area, was one of the first to experience one of the attacks in 2020. He said, “I was sailing with my delivery crew through the Strait of Gibraltar delivering a yacht when I was surrounded with a pack of eight orcas, pushing the boat around for about an hour.” That time, the orcas damaged the rudder, disabling the boat and causing the crew to call for a tow to the nearest marina.

Then, on April 15, it happened again. “While delivering a catamaran for the Catamaran Guru company, the same pack of orcas appeared out of nowhere,” Kriz told Newsweek. “We felt like we got hit bad with a wave, but with the second hit, we realized that the same situation from 2020 was happening.”

This time around, the whales appeared to have improved their technique. “First time, we could hear them communicating under the boat,” Kriz said. “This time, they were quiet, and it didn’t take them that long to destroy both rudders. Not only was the attack more targeted, but it was also more efficient.”

Why Are the Whales Behaving This Way?

There are two primary theories about why orcas are displaying this behavior. Some suspect it is some sort of game that the whales are playing. Others theorize that it could stem from a negative experience, such as being hit and injured by a boat. However, nobody knows why this is happening. “My idea, or what anyone would give you, is informed speculation. It is a total mystery, unprecedented,” said Andrew Trites, professor and director of Marine Mammal Research at the University of British Columbia.

One thing is for sure, these whales are not to be messed with. They are coordinating their attacks and seem to be getting better at it. It’s a chilling reminder that we share the ocean with some truly powerful and intelligent creatures.

• Whales are attacking boats in the Strait of Gibraltar
• They appear to be perfecting their techniques and teaching their young to imitate them
• At least three boats have been sunk
• Experts are unsure why the whales are behaving this way

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