Fun or instinct? Scientists reveal mystery of killer whale attack on boats

Recently, new attacks by orcas against boats have been recorded in the Strait of Gibraltar which has stoked fears that these sea ​​mammals They can intensify their behavior and harm not only ships but people.

You may be interested in: Orcas sink a ship in Gibraltar again. Why do they do it?

And although this phenomenon has been recurring since 2020, mainly at the end of spring, Scientists had several theories to explain these attacks, from global warming, hostility, and even competition.howeverit seems that they have hit the nail on the head and have managed to decipher what is really happening with the whales.

A new scientific study is revealing the most likely reason these orcas crash dangerously into boats, especially off the coasts of Spain and Portugal, sinking them without caring about anything.

And according to science It would be about teenage orcas joking around and hanging out with a new and dangerous hobby that they have adopted, that is, they do it just for fun.

“The sea is a very boring place for an animal. Imagine that you are a dog or some other mammal and you can interact with the objects around you. But in the sea there is not much for the orcas to interact with, so they play with the rudders,” researcher Renaud de Stephanis, president of Conservation, Information and Studies on Cetaceans of Spain, told USA Today.

For his part, Alexandre Zerbini, an expert in these animals, also explained that young regional marine mammals “have free time,” so they have turned the act of releasing the rudder pieces into a water sport.

“We think the orcas are getting something out of this, they are enjoying what is happening. They are playing. Obviously, they don’t understand that such a move can mean damage to the ships,” she emphasized.

Furthermore, experts explain that teenage whales have recently started doing this because they enjoy fads.. According to Naomi Rose of the Animal Welfare Institute, it’s in the nature of orcas to follow trends, especially younger ones for short periods of time.

You can also read: ‘White Gladis’, the orca who formed a gang and started a revolution

However, The specialist explains that the current behavior of the orcas largely shows their intelligence more than anything else.and it is even sophisticated, since they only do it with the desire to spend time having fun.

Killer whale attacks have been recorded in early spring, continue throughout the summer and disappear in the fall.

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