Killer Whale Rams Yacht Off Coast Of Scotland, Suggesting Aggressive Behavior Spreading

An orca repeatedly rammed a yacht in a strait between Scotland and Norway last week in yet another aggressive attack by killer whales.

For the last few months, orcas have been slamming into boats in the Strait of Gibraltar off the coasts of Spain and Portugal. But the latest attack came more than 2,000 miles away and is reportedly the first such encounter in northern waters.

“What I felt [was] most frightening was the very loud breathing of the animal,” Dr. Wim Rutten, a retired Dutch physicist and experienced boater who was sailing solo from Lerwick to Bergen in Norway, The Guardian reported. The orca stayed behind the boat “looking for the keel. Then he disappeared … but came back at fast speed, twice or thrice … and circled a bit.

“Maybe he just wanted to play. Or look me in the eyes. Or to get rid of the fishing line,” the 72-year-old doctor said.

The pods of killer whales have been attacking boats in the Strait of Gibraltar this year, with more than 20 incidents in May alone. Last month, the yacht Alboran Champagne was attacked by three orcas, which broke through the hull. The boat flooded, and the crew was forced to abandon ship, which was left adrift to sink.

The Strait of Gibraltar — an 8-mile-wide section corridor separating Europe from Africa — has been a hot spot of activity, with more than 500 interactions between orcas and boats in the past three years. Killer whales can swim up to 35 miles per hour, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and an adult can weigh up to 11 tons and stretch more than 30 feet long.

Several reports say a killer whale called White Gladis is teaching other orcas to attack yachts and has already struck three boats, sinking two of them. “Researchers believe that a female orca called White Gladis is seeking revenge after being traumatised by a collision with a boat, or being trapped in illegal fishing nets,” one report said.

Marine biologist Alfredo López Fernandez told Live Science that White Gladis suffered a “critical moment of agony.” “That traumatized orca is the one that started this behavior of physical contact with the boat,” he said.

“We do not interpret that the orcas are teaching the young, although the behavior has spread to the young vertically, simply by imitation, and later horizontally among them, because they consider it something important in their lives,” López Fernandez added.

But others say younger whales are copying White Gladis’ attacks. “A clearly larger matriarch was definitely around and was almost supervising,” Stephen Bidwell, whose boat was attacked by a pod of orcas, told The Telegraph.

“It’s an experience I will never forget,” Bidwell said. “I kept reminding myself we had a 22-ton boat made of steel, but seeing three of them coming at once, quickly and at pace with their fins out of the water was daunting.” The attack lasted for more than an hour.

One researcher has a theory over the new attack in northern waters. “It’s possible that this ‘fad’ is leapfrogging through the various pods/communities,” Conor Ryan, an independent researcher who advises the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, told the Guardian.

Most recently, the Ocean Race’s Team JAJO’s yacht was attacked last week. Underwater video shot by a crew member shows the killer whales swimming up under the Dutch yacht, then speeding toward the rudders, ramming into them. At one point, a whale bites a rudder. The crew banged on the hull in an attempt to drive the whales off.

“This was a scary moment,” Team JAJO skipper Jelmer van Beek said, CNN reported. “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.”

Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.