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Orcas are commonly referred to as “killer whales” thanks to their reputation as apex predators in the world’s waters. Humans usually don’t have to worry about drawing their ire, but that’s begun to change in recent years as they’ve seemingly gone out of their way to target boats—including a yacht that recently sank following a lengthy attack in Europe.
If you’re familiar with orcas, you probably know they’re highly intelligent creatures who have a tendency to hunt in packs and seemingly take pleasure in hunting and torturing their prey (a lengthy list of targets that includes fish, birds, seals, squid, and even other species of whales).
However, there’s plenty of evidence that suggests we can add “boats” to that lineup based on what’s repeatedly unfolded in one of the waters they’ve called home.
Over the past few years, there are been multiple incidents in the vicinity of the Strait of Gibraltar (the waterway between Spain and Morocco that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea) orchestrated by orcas that seemingly have a vendetta against vessels that make their way into the area.
Experts believe a killer whale that’s been dubbed “White Gladis” was injured in a collision with a boat at some point and managed to teach other orcas to target them based on the dozens of watercraft that have been attacked since the start of 2020.
There were already two boats that had been sunk by orcas near Gibraltar in 2023, and according to CBS News, that number has risen to three thanks to what transpired when a sailing yacht became the latest victim on October 31st.
The Polish tourism company that owned the boat said the killer whales “hit the steering fin for 45 minutes, causing major damage and leakage” and that all of the people aboard the yacht were safely rescued before it sank around 30 miles north of the coast of Morocco.
While no one was harmed in the attack, it seems like it might be a good idea to avoid hopping aboard a boat in that particular region for the foreseeable future.