Located in the Strait of Gibraltar, incidents concerning sailboat damages (7 boat sinkings, hundreds of broken rudders) have been recorded since 2020. This behaviour displayed by Orcas warn governments, NGOs, and scientists which have to find solutions, starting by understanding why orcas are damaging boats.
What do the scientists say?
Orcas are a very interesting subject of study for scientists as they are among the smarter cetaceans studied in the North Atlantic Ocean in particular. One of the most interesting facts concerning this species of marine mammal is the socialisation of groups (or “pods”). Scientists have discovered a “cultural tradition” scheme, developed in the Workshop report published by the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
Focusing on the Gibraltar case, The organisation CIRCE (Conservation, Information and Research on Cetaceans) mentioned a specific group of orcas named The Gladiators, led by White Gloria, a female orca. Members of this group, particularly young or juvenile members, have been observed damaging boats. As seen before, because “killer whale behaviours are largely determined by social learning”, scientists demonstrated that “interactions have more elements consistent with fad behaviour or play/socialising”. According to CIRCE president Dr. R. de Stephanis, during an interview, orcas are “big children [which see a] cultural enrichment by playing with rubbers”. Damages to boats are due to the “spread throughout the community of the orca’s behaviour”. It is like an ephemeral trend among juveniles, which disappears as they grow. There is not any hostility in their actions, therefore mentions of “attacks” or “aggressions” should cease because these words are inappropriate.
Orcas are gathered all around the strait also because there is a large bluefin tuna population. IWC scientists mentioned that “when bluefin tuna were at low numbers, the whales were preoccupied with finding and capturing sufficient prey”. So they hypothesize that because it is easy to feed, orcas can develop other activities, like entertainment. It is exactly like instead of watching a movie or taking a dance class, we should go hunting to survive !
But nonetheless, marines, fishers, and tourists are afraid of orcas adopting violent behaviour. Tossing firecrackers, pouring gasoline around the boat, throwing rocks or even electrocution are not solutions, and can cause injuries and damages to not only the orcas but also the environment. Today, “Iberian killer whales are Critically Endangered”. The IWC has listed during the study “probably less than 40 individuals” with “a decrease in adult female survival”. The population is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
So now, what should we do if we are faced with this kind of situation ?
CIRCE, and its president Dr. R. de Stephanis are really involved in orca protection. By recording their position and activities, the organization is able to guide boats across the Iberian Sea and avoid encounters with pods of orcas. This is also the case for the organism Sea Shepherd, which is in charge of monitoring risk areas. All information is shared on a Telegram channel. Since the application of the organisation's advice, interactions have decreased from 70 to 80% according to Dr. R. de Stephanis. The most important thing is to never stop the motor even if orcas are all around the boat, as they will be “annoyed by the situation faster”. Also, try to stay in a depth of water between 0 and 20 meters.
The Cruising Association has designed a poster and a website page dedicated to the best practices to adopt at sea, before and during the crossing.
Complements you should know
According to the The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) report concerning Iberian orcas, marine mammals are threatened on several levels :
The marine species depends on the population of bluefin tuna present. If this density starts to reduce, scientists hypothesize that orcas should not adapt their diet and spend most of the time hunting. In this situation reproduction processes would be minor and could increase the mortality rate, even obliging orcas to quit Gibraltar. This scenario will depend on the impact of the fisheries and the overfishing, which still needs more regulation.
Another factor threatened is the degradation of their natural environment. In addition to the overfishing, noise level increasing, infrastructure construction, military and tourism activities impact in a harmful way the ocean in general, reverberating on orcas.
Last but not least, Iberian orcas record high rates of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) – toxic molecules – and other pollutants in fat. IUCN’s scientists explain this results by facts that killer whales live until 80 - 90 years for females, and are on top of the food chain. In consequence, they absorb toxic molecules by eating.
From now on, when you see articles about orcas “attacking” or “threatening” boats, you will know that is fake news. These cetaceans are today critically in danger and need help more than a spread of bad reputation. One of the projects of CIRCE is to create a protected area in the Iberian Peninsula allowing orcas to hunt safely, and develop awareness campaigns for governments, fisheries, locals and tourists.
Sources and credits :
IWC Report : https://archive.iwc.int/pages/download.phpdirect=1&noattach=true&ref=22172&ext=pdf&k=
CIRCE Behaviour advises : https://skippers.ch/actualites/voile-ocean/attaques-dorques-a-gibraltar-112746/
GEO article : https://www.geo.fr/animaux/ces-orques-couleuses-de-bateaux-communiquent-dans-une-langue-jamais-entendue-230519
French TV News report : https://www.tf1info.fr/international/videos/video-gibraltar-a-quoi-jouent-les-orques-du-detroit-7959-2390727.html
Head Picture : © Chase Dekker
Picture 1 : © M. Izard - N. Lauren
Picture 2 : Instagram User
Picture 3 : © kertu_ee