Orca Ramming Boats in Spain and Portugal?

Killer whales, or orcas, are the largest members of the oceanic dolphin family.

While the intelligent mammals, which hunt in large pods, are known for their orchestrated attacks on unsuspecting marine animals, they have never posed a threat to humans. However, since late July, the normally social animals have been intentionally attacking sailboats off the coasts of Spain and Portugal. The unusual hostility is puzzling scientists worldwide.

The strange behavior first surfaced on the afternoon of July 29, 2020, when Victoria Morris noticed nine orcas circling the 46-foot boat she was crewing near the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar, between Morocco and Spain. The 23-year-old biology graduate was initially delighted to see the friendly mammals, with whom she had numerous encounters while teaching sailing in New Zealand. However, that changed when they began attacking the boat's hull repeatedly for almost an hour. "The noise was terrifying. They were ramming the keel, there was this horrible echo, I thought they could capsize the boat. And this deafening noise as they communicated, whistling to each other. It was so loud that we had to shout," she said.