Killer Whales Attack Boats During International Race

Recently, reports are out about orcas attacking boats.

Some believe the orcas are teaching their young to attack boats, and their attacks have even led to some boats being sunken entirely.

It seems the killer whales don’t have plans on slowing down anytime soon. Multiple boaters participating in an international race called The Ocean Race have reported orca attacks.

In a press release from the The Ocean Race, the organization explained two VO65 boats had “scary” encounters with orcas during a three-leg version of the race called The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint.

During the attacks, the orcas pushed up against the boats or rammed at them, and even bit at the rudders. Thankfully, the press release notes that there were no injures associated with the attacks. Furthermore, both boats were able to sail away from the encounters.

Skipper Jelmer van Beek recalled the incident, saying, “Three orcas came straight at us and started hitting the rudders. Impressive to see the orcas, beautiful animals, but also a dangerous moment for us as a team. We took down the sails and slowed down the boat as quickly as possible and luckily, after a few attacks, they went away… This was a scary moment.”

One of the boats managed to film part of the attack so you can check it out for yourself:

Waning: The following video contains strong language. It may not be suitable for all viewers.

While scientists are still trying to understand the new behavior, it does appear to be spreading from older orcas to younger orcas. It’ll be interesting to see how their behavior continues to shift toward boats in the future.