Scientists discover what drives killer whales to attack boats and luxury yachts: fascinating discovery

Recently, in European waters, an unusual behavior of killer whales has been observed, with increasing frequency attacking and submerging luxury yachts. Scientists were intrigued by this phenomenon and decided to investigate the reasons for this unusual behavior of these intelligent marine life.

According to the published results, it turned out that killer whales do not fight for dominance or show aggression. In fact, the targeted attacks on ships are caused by nothing more than the playful instincts of young killer whales looking for fun, The Washington Post notes .

This behavior has become a trend among young individuals seeking to have fun.

Since the beginning of 2020, a small but active group of killer whales has caused collision incidents with more than 670 vessels in the waters off the coasts of Portugal, Spain, and Morocco, resulting in the sinking of several of them. In response to these events, the Spanish and Portuguese authorities initiated a study to find out the causes of aggressive whale behavior and develop strategies to stop it.

A long-term study conducted by a team of biologists, government representatives, and maritime industry experts has shed light on the causes of destructive behavior of a certain group of Orcinus killer whales. It turned out that young individuals, including calves and juveniles, are looking for entertainment. The study confirmed that excessive free time, natural curiosity, and playful instincts prompted the young killer whales to develop a "fashion" for colliding with boats as a form of entertainment, as in large and relatively deserted open waters, vessels become ideal toys.

"It's like a game. Of course, it's a high-risk game, but it's still a game," commented Naomi Rose, a senior researcher at the Animal Welfare Institute who was a member of the research team. A game that can be exciting for the killer whales, but also dangerous and frightening for the humans on board, as demonstrated in a video from The Ocean Race 2023.

Most killer whales that approach boats belong to a group of about 15 young individuals. They usually swim slowly, as if they only want to lightly touch the rudder with their noses and heads. However, even young killer whales, which can reach lengths of 2 to 4.5 meters, often damage or even destroy rudders when they come into contact with them.

"There is nothing in the behavior of the animals to indicate that they are aggressive. When they play with the steering wheel, they don't realize that they can damage the steering wheel and that damage to the steering wheel will affect people. It's more playful than intentional," said Alex Zerbini, who chairs the scientific committee of the International Whaling Commission, the global body dedicated to whale conservation, and is also a member of the working group.

It's not yet clear why killer whales are attracted to rudders or how they got interested in them in the first place. Nevertheless, Zerbini believes that it may have all started with one curious young orca who may have been fascinated by the bubbles around a moving ship.

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