[Article initialement publié en mai 2024]
Orcs: a behavior that raises questions
This report was commissioned by the Spanish and Portuguese governments, anxious to preserve these whales threatened with extinction. Several specialists in marine species have been mobilized to carry out it. They met during a workshop. Among them are government representatives, biologists and people from the maritime industry.
In total, 673 attacks have been identified since 2020 in the Strait of Gibraltar. A sudden change in behavior in the shoulders which has been assimilated to a “uprising against the super rich” by Internet users.
Unexpected explanations
According to the researchers, what was considered to be attacks so far would not be. It would in fact be a fun activity resulting from having more free time. So nothing aggressive.
“The behavior presents common points with the trends observed elsewhere and seems associated with the game or socialization, perhaps encouraged by the recent increase in abundance and the availability of prey – reducing the time necessary for the search for food – and by reducing negative interactions with fisheries”said the researchers.
It happens that the Orcas adopt different behaviors depending on the location of their community, temporarily. Their diet, for example, can vary depending on their population and then be transmitted from generation to generation.
The advice provided by experts
The report of specialists suggests that the habit of certain young orcas to place their heads near the propellers of boats to observe them was able to evolve. This is the reason why they would have come to hit them and even make a boat sink.
Experts suggest making the observation of the Iberian Peninsula for the whales by making them less distracting. They indeed realized that some ships amused the shoulders less than others and therefore that the latter left them alone.
It would therefore be concretely a question of modifying the rudder to make them abrasive or bumpy. Pending this change, sailors are advised to move away from the whales when they are at sea so as not to run any risk of damage on their boat.
“Getting away is not a guarantee to end the interaction or prevent damage, but can reduce the likelihood of the latter. Navigators must alert the authorities from the start of the game, which should reduce the intervention time of the emergency services if necessary, “ specifies the report.
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