suspicion is growing about strange orca activity in the Strait of Gibraltar and nearby Galicia. In this part of the Iberian Peninsula, harassment of small and medium vessels, especially sailboats, has been increasing noticeably. In most cases the animals appear to harass or collide with ships, and there have been instances where boats were driven toward danger. Since 2020 there have been reports of boats being overwhelmed near several ports, with one incident near Barbate in Cadiz occurring in May. Observers note that the orcas seem to be teaching their young how to ram sailboats.
Three sightings of killer whales (Orcinus orca) have drawn attention from the Bosphorus region to Atlantic waters. A 15-meter sailboat was navigating the area when it was struck repeatedly at the helm, according to a German publication cited by local reports.
“Two small orcas and one larger individual were involved,” said the captain of a yacht named Champagne. “While the youngsters battered the helm from behind, the bigger whale backed up and struck the vessel from the side with considerable force,” he added.
As the situation escalated, the crew lost control of the vessel and had to request Barbate Marine Rescue assistance. The lifeboat towed the ship toward Barbate, but it eventually sank near the harbor entrance.
Schaufelberger noted that the smaller orcas appear to imitate the larger one. “The two smaller orcas followed the older whale’s technique, nudging the boat until it gave way.”
Two days later another sailboat was struck
A flock of six individuals from this group attacked a different sailboat passing through the Bosphorus. Greg Blackburn, part of the crew, observed the mother orca teaching her calf to ram the helm. “It looked like a deliberate lesson,” Blackburn told a local broadcast.
International media, including the New York Post, have echoed the Bosphorus incidents, noting a pattern that has persisted for nearly three years. Experts continue to seek explanations for this behavior.
Reports of these behaviors by killer whales began surfacing in May 2020 and have grown more frequent. A study published last year by a team of Spanish scientists in Marine Mammal Science describes a consistent pattern: the animals approach from the stern, strike the helm, and depart after disabling the boat.
“Interactions have been ongoing since 2020, both in Galicia and the Bosphorus,” notes biologist Alfredo López Fernández of the University of Aveiro, a co‑author of the study.
Fernández points out that most sailboat encounters are noninjurious. “Across more than 500 interaction events recorded since 2020, only three ships sunk,” he remarks. “We believe orcas touch only a small fraction of passing vessels.”
Researchers suggest a traumatic event, possibly involving a female in the group colliding with a boat or becoming ensnared in illegal nets, could trigger a lasting change in behavior that others imitate.
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Environmental authorities may be monitoring the situation closely, as researchers emphasize that the exact motivation behind the attacks remains unclear and could involve defensive responses in the wake of trauma. The possibility that a single incident altered the group’s conduct is a focus of ongoing study.
Attribution: observations and quotes drawn from field reports and ongoing scientific monitoring of orca behavior in the region. The research continues to gather data about how and why these remarkable marine mammals interact with boats and what this means for safety at sea.