What's your theory on why Orca's are attacking and sinking sailboats?

[lightbulb27]

There've been attacks in various places and several sunk boats by Killer Whales (Orca's). They are even teaching each other how to attack boats!

They have not attacked and killed people as of yet. If they were hungry, they'd probably do so. If it was vindictive, they'd probably do so.

Note in one instance a KW split it's head open. I doubt they'd do that without a reasonable cause.

quite a story of survival after boat was sunk by KW's.

Lastly, do you think humans can learn to speak "Orca" or find another species that could cross communicate with them, to sort it the issue?

Otherwise... I'd be thinking twice about a sailing adventure...

To get fish they assume are there

Think it's a whale to attack and eat

Starving... pissed off people are ruining their food supply

Sick of humans poisoning environment

For fun... bored

Other

Updates

10 mo

Interesting... https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=GimCcrwYxdE

Other ideas:
* These Orcas were trained as part of military experiment. Maybe, same done to dolphines
* They have "mental illness" and confused. I don't buy it... but whatever.

Updates

10 mo

Orca attacks near portugal
https://www.orcas.pt/map-from-oct-22

[NamerOfStars]

Ever hear of Tim Severin? He's my current candidate for the main character of real life, now that Christopher Lee is dead. There aren't a lot of people who got active in the the1960's and can still put "explorer" on their resume, and most of them are astronauts; Severin isn't (yet- give him time). Anyway, in the mid-70's, Tim was reading Saint Brendan's account of his mythical voyage westward from Ireland, and began to wonder whether it really WAS mythical- it didn't have any of the usual traits that mythical Christian voyages did, and given the level of understanding of science and nature a fifth-century Irishman would have, could this text refer to a real trip Brendan and some other monks actually took?

Rather than simply idly wonder about it, Tim assembled a crew, learned the ancient boat-building technologies in use in Ireland at the time, and sailed from Ireland, up through the Faroes to Iceland, past Greendland, and eventually landed in Canada, using literal stone age technology, proving that Brendan COULD have done so, beating the Vikings to the New World by half a millennium. It's a fascinating book from a fascinating guy (who also recreated the voyages of Sindbad, Jason, and Ulysses. Anyway, at one point he notes how many whales their little boat attracted- since it wasn't metal (but leather) and had no engine or turbines, he thinks they thought it was another whale. The same thing happened to Brendan (who thought the whale was a fish, but that's a pretty understandable mistake for a simple monk).

Orcas (the name is a linguistic artifact; they're not "killer whales", being dolphins, they're whale killers) are smart; there's never been a case of a wild orca killing a human (on record, at least), and they easily could, if they wanted to. If they're attacking boats, my guess would be it's a territory thing.

[lightbulb27]

I had not, great story!
A leather boat? Wow!

[razelove]

Ok, so the biggest thing boats interrupt for whales, even before diesels, is the mating calls of whales. Generally they move away from the cock-block emissions, but those have only been increasing.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2019.00606/full

Now you have to figure that if a whale has been pent up since the year 2000, they can figure out pretty fast that they can't knock a super tanker or really any freighters out the sea. Those sail boats though...

It isn't that surprising, sperm whales figured out they were getting hunted and we get moby dick. What if we fuel that anger... with sexual frustration?

[purplepoppy]

Interestingly they've started doing in the waters between Scotland and Norway which is miles from the usual Gibraltar attacks.

I don't think it's revenge because they would have done that decades ago not now. I wonder if there's been a change in boat design that's attracting their interest and they're seeing them as toys.

[lightbulb27]

I see that. the windmills just started coming out...
It may just be some Orca had an epiphany, and is spreading the idea around. What's the benefit though... they must think it's an opportunity for food.

[purplepoppy]

Could be a way to teach the young how to hunt whales. Or perhaps they just get a kick out of it. My money is on it's just a new game. When someone falls overboard and they learn their delicious that's when it gets interesting.

[lightbulb27]

good point. yes, If I was a sea person and had fatty liver issues, I'd be fasting...

[purplepoppy]

I wonder if there is a link with the growing obesity problem. Perhaps they now think we're ready to eat. Did the whales sink titan

[lightbulb27]

doubt they go that deep, but we'll find out. that thing wasn't built right, wouldn't blame it on big fish...

[Anonymous]

Revenge for the windmills placed in the water.

[lightbulb27]

I was wondering on that as well!!!

[Opinion Owner]

It's the only thing that makes sense. That dork in the video says they don't see revenge. Bullshit. Smashing your head into the side of the boat doesn't seem like my idea of being playful.

[lightbulb27]

if they thought it was a big whale to attack, which they will... maybe. but that doesn't make sense. being pissed off is the best theory I have. however, if that was true, wouldn't they kill the people that land up in the dingy and eat their livers, like they do sharks?
so doesn't add up either...

[Opinion Owner]

Maybe it's the structure they're attacking, and not so much the people. Maybe they don't want all that man-made crap in the water.

[Blueeyes81]

Have you ever seen the videos where orcas just fuck with (and fuck up) seals for the hell of it. Im not talking hunting them but playing with them by repeatedly tossing the seal into the air. I imagine its much the same with boats, for shits and giggles. Orcas are just giant assholes.

[lightbulb27]

except it's gotta hurt. Maybe they are "staking their dominance". If true though, have they been doing that for decades? Not that I'm aware of...

[Blueeyes81]

As far as I'm aware its only this one group thats been doing it and only within the last few years. So I'd say its learned but as to why, maybe its juveniles just playing and immolating each other. They hunt great whites and other whales so maybe its the elders teaching the younger ones to hunt on a safe target. It'll be interesting to see how it progresses in the future.

[AviatorTom]

It's a learned reaction. One orca probably felt threatened by a sailboat and attacked it, causing the sailboat to go away, leaving the orca alone, safe in its environment. Other orcas learned this and, since they also like to be safe, attack the boats to make them go away, to leave them alone.

[Paul09]

Humans keep polluting, taking , killing and damaging everything in nature. For pleasure only... Maybe they are pissed off and finally taking a stance. Do humans need to be everywhere and take everything?

[Littlejugs99]

Sick of being hunted. Fishing boats are competitors

[exitseven]

They are angry over the way killer whales are portrayed in the movies.

.

[lightbulb27]

I wondered about that as well... namely, that humans captured some of their friends and hold them hostage.
I think it's ridiculous hollywood requires so much diversity in movies now that it has to have at least one Orca in the script. ludicrous...
lol... not true...

[exitseven]

They are always the bad guys, killing people and swallowing rowboat whole. They see shows like Flipper who is not nearly as smart but he always saves bud and sandy.