Orcas have evolved into a kind of threat to seafarers all over the worldof orca attacks on boats and yachts is increasing every year, causing some sailors to fear for their lives. Now, as the attacks begin again New research off the coast of Spain suggests the animals may simply be using our boats for ‘target practice’.
Orcas off the coast of Spain collided with another boat this week as it sailed through the Atlantic Ocean. reports FuturismAs is now tradition, the whales were hitting the rudder of the boatcausing her to lie motionless and await rescue efforts, which were delayed by bad weather, leaving the Amidala and her two-man crew to drift aimlessly for hours.
The latest attack on a sailboat has raised new questions about why the animals are resisting. Is it because they mistake ships for food? Are they out for revenge after that Kiwi tried to bodyslam one of their own Or, as a new research report suggests, are they simply using us as target practice?
That’s the latest theory to hit the internet, it seems. orca could use the rudders of passing ships to train their young how to hunt, according to Futurism. As the site explains:
The paper, which will be published soon in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management, notes that while the orcas chasing the sailboats are generally younger, adult pod members are sometimes seen during such ramming incidents.
This suggests, according to the Spanish researchers’ reasoning, that the older orcas are teaching their young. And since most of them take charge right away, their lessons seem to be working.
“This is like a training toy,” Bruno Díaz López, the institute’s chief biologist, explained to the NYT. “It’s unfortunate that we humans are in the middle of this game, but they are learning.”
The research, conducted by Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute in Spainsuggests that the attacks may be an attempt to train younger animals to hunt bluefin tuna swimming through the sea. These animals can grow up to 10 feet long and travel through the water at quite high speeds, just like the species smaller sailboats have increasingly caught the orca attacked.
It may sound far-fetched, but there is growing evidence that killer whales and large marine mammals such as whales teach their offspring new skills. Killer whales have been observed teaching each other before how to hunt great white sharks and it is thought that humpback whales teach each other their favorite songs.
As cute as it is to think about, it does little to help the people who have fallen victim to these practices. Orca attacks in recent yearsIn reality, estimates suggest a pod of more than 20 orcasto have about 700 boats were hit in this way.
