Orcas are aggressive. The trimaran Neel 43 Greenwich Explorer paid the price. Off Portugal, close to the coast, she was attacked by a pod of orcas on the morning of May 30, 2023. Only his rudder, on the central hull of a Neel 43, was targeted. The orcas literally destroyed it and the boat had to be towed back to port.
Increasing attacks
For some time now, orca attacks on boats have been on the increase. each time, the attack is the same. The orcas spot a boat, often a sailboat, approach it in groups and attack the rudder, trying and often succeeding in destroying it.
The instructions given by the scientists are to stop sailing, immobilize the boat by lowering the sails and switching off the engine. Make as little noise as possible on board, and switch off the lights and depth sounder.
Off Gibraltar
But these instructions were clearly not enough, and the attacks multiplied. They are located to the south of Portugal, opposite the entrance to the Mediterranean. Distances from the coast, far or near, make no difference.
New light on this behavior
For the moment, there is no explanation for this behaviour, which seems to be increasing. Researcher Alfredo López Fernandez, a biologist at Aveiro University in Portugal, is shedding new light on the subject. He believes that one of the orcas, a female he has named Gladis, may have suffered boat trauma. Exactly which one? It's impossible to say. In any case, this female is said to be the initiator of her fellow orcas, teaching them how to attack passing boats. The behavior reported by the various boaters attacked seems to confirm this theory. each time, a larger male leads his group.
Overly intelligent animals?
Orcas are known for their highly-developed intelligence and social behavior, capable of learning from each other. So why not this Gladis? While this working hypothesis is possible, it doesn't provide a solution to the problem of how to stop these attacks, or even how to behave when sailing in these waters.
