Since 2020, there have been over 600 reports of an orca pod attacking boats in the Strait of Gibraltar. The unique pod dubbed the Iberian orcas, has made headlines by ramming rudders and sinking several boats off the coasts of Morocco, Spain, and Portugal. Scientists from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) have released a report that may help explain the pod’s behavior.
Iberian Orca Pod vs Boats
The Iberian orcas have made a name for themselves by interfering with boating activities up and down the Strait of Gibraltar. They have even damaged medium-sized sailboats roughly 29 feet long by intentionally targeting their rudders. Marine biologists believe that the behavior was triggered by one teenage whale who played with a rudder in front of other pod members, teaching them the same behavior. This “fun” game has escalated as more pod members begin to play along.
An Investigating Workshop
As the danger to orcas and humans alike became increasingly concerning, the Spanish and Portuguese governments sponsored a collaborative workshop of biologists, marine industry workers, and government officials to investigate the pod’s behavior. The workshop released its findings in May 2024, explaining the pod’s behavior and offering solutions and advice on dealing with it.
The Report’s Main Findings
The report concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that the interactions between the Iberian orcas and sailing boats were intentionally aggressive on the whales’ part and that the behavior was likely that of a “fad” often seen in orca populations “associated with play or socializing.” The team further indicated that the pod has more time on its hands due to the “increased abundance and availability of prey—reducing the time needed for foraging—and by the reduction in negative interactions with fisheries.”
Orca “Fads”
Much like with human linguistic or fashion trends, there is a documented history of orca pods displaying “fads” – a period where certain behavior is popular among pods and which might disappear eventually. For example, a pod was seen sporting dead salmon as hats in 1987. This trend was started by a female member of the K-pod and lasted roughly five to six weeks. Besides a resurgence in 2008, the trend has never been seen again.
An Increase in Food
In 2019, there was a shortage of bluefin tuna in the Iberian Peninsula, which resulted in the orca pod seeking food elsewhere. However, the tuna population bounced back the following year, and with it came the Iberian orcas. Marine biologists believe the “attacks” on boat rudders started due to boredom because the pod is no longer constantly looking for food. And so, 11 juvenile males and four adult females began to have some innocent “fun”.
When Play Goes Overboard
While the Iberian orcas mean no harm, their ability to teach each other has escalated the problem, resulting in millions of dollars sinking to the ocean floor. The IWC report suggested that orcas are known to “go overboard, in some cases killing the object of their amusement.” This tendency, understandably exacerbated by pod members learning more effective ways to target boat rudders, could help explain the increases in the severity of interactions between boaters and the pod.
Orca Communication
Orcas are known for their intelligence and ability to communicate using a complex system of vocalizations and echolocation. Like humans, orcas teach their communication skills and dialects to their young, passing them along from generation to generation. Each pod has its own unique way of communicating with other members.
Decoding Orca Vocalizations
Orcas use a variety of sounds, including clicks, whistles, and “pulse” calls, to locate and hunt prey effectively, communicate with other pod members, and express emotions. They use echolocation to navigate and hunt by emitting sound waves and interpreting the vast echoes to better understand their location. However, their communication systems are not yet completely understood.
Misinterpreting Orca Signals
Understanding how orcas communicate can provide insight into their behavior, especially regarding their interactions with humans and – more recently– sailboats. Many people have speculated that these “attacks” on boating activities are their way of getting revenge on humans for hunting them in the past. However, with the release of the IWC report, the question is now: are they trying to communicate with us, or are our boats just a convenient playground for them?
Protecting Orcas
As a result of the “attacks”, humans are responding to a perceived threat. Footage from 2023 showed a sailor shooting at the pod when they began to play with his boat’s rudder. The Iberian orcas are critically endangered, as less than 40 individuals remain in the pod. With this new report, there is hope that the public will begin to understand the Iberian orcas’ behavior and take preventative measures rather than defensive ones.
Human-Orca Coexistence
The Iberian orcas display never-before-seen behavior, making the IWC report all the more important. The report provided some suggestions to decrease interactions and advised that sailors remain “at least 1.2 to 1.9 miles from the area where the whales were encountered.” The report also said that sailors can make boats appear less fun by modifying rudders to make them more abrasive without hurting the whales.
A Step Toward Understanding
As we begin to study and interpret the behavior of Iberian orcas, we see that there is more to this unique trend than meets the eye. The answers may lie in how the species communicate and the effects of this on their interactions with humans. The more we learn about these intelligent creatures, the more insight we can gain into why they are behaving this way. With this information, we can better protect ourselves and the orcas.
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