Ha Ha! Boat-Ramming Orcas Still At It

The rambunctious orcas off the coast of Spain continue to harass boats, going so far to disturb a couple of entrants in The Ocean Race last week. More concerning, now come reports of killer whales ramming boats off the coast of Scotland, some 2,000 miles from the original attacks.

In the race, Team JAJO was approaching the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea when at least three orcas approached the sloop and made some harmless but tense bumps against the rudder. Following a protocol for such encounters, the team went “all hands on deck,” dropped their sails, and made noises to scare off the pod.

“We knew that there was a possibility of an orca attack this leg, so we had already spoken about what to do if the situation would occur,” Team JAJO on-board reporter Brend Schuil told the AP. “They seemed more aggressive/playful when we were sailing at speed. Once we slowed down they also started to be less aggressive in their attacks.” 

“Everyone is OK on board and the animals are also OK,” said Schuil, but the pause knocked back Team JAJO, as they fell from second to fourth place in the endurance race, which continued over the weekend.

Meanwhile, an orca also attacked a yacht off the coast of Scotland — the first time the rude behavior has been recorded outside Iberian waters. The killer whale, like its cousins in the Mediterranean, repeatedly slammed into the boat's stern. “Maybe he just wanted to play,” boat owner Wim Rutten told the Guardian. “Or look me in the eyes. Or to get rid of the fishing line.”

No one knows exactly what the rowdy orcas are up to. Juvenile play? Avenging a past boat-related trauma? With the behavior now migrating to the North Sea –  and instigated by an entirely different orca population – we’re all wondering how far the trend will spread. 

Team JAJO got a good look at their orca encounter, recording the shenanigans here.

Photo credit: Elaine Thompson / AP