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Orca attacks: scientists say it could be a game between cetaceans
Orca attacks: scientists say it could be a game between cetaceans
(France 2)
After a long investigation, French scientists are now able to explain boat attacks by Gibraltar orcas. There have been 600 in four years.
They thought they would enjoy a trip to the sea but found themselves surrounded and then attacked by groups of orcas. For four years, these scenes have multiplied in the Strait of Gibraltar. The cetaceans systematically attack the submerged part of the rudder, enough to break out in a cold sweat. These bad encounters all took place in the same area. It is in fact a simple game initiated by three young males in 2020. In certain videos, scientists noticed that the attack was often carried out by an orca who was accompanied by another orca who simply watched, like having fun.
In the event of an encounter, scientists advise not to stop and to continue on your way, or to install a small pointed cone on the rudder. Navigators are also invited to change route and follow the coast. With this alternative, the number of incidents decreased by 70% in one year.
