Why are they called killer whales → ua-cam.com/video/FIwjehSYKJg/v-deo.html Orcas are eating shark livers → ua-cam.com/video/SRdHMG7mQ90/v-deo.html Learn more about the different orca ecotypes → ua-cam.com/video/TnJVE2oNJH0/v-deo.html A shocking number of orcas were caught in fishing nets → ua-cam.com/video/Xdu-6JavJcg/v-deo.html Help the Oregon Coast Aquarium build a new rescue center → streamlabscharity.com/oregon-coast-aquarium
European are over fishing screwing the ecosystem. Us british are have a problem with the french & spanish taking to much with their super trawlers bunch idoits
@@scottk6659 traditional sonar does not, sailboaters are to cheap to use chirp, the sht i used to work on for the navy used ELF... which would disorientate and i would lean on that wavelegth was within large body resonant frequencys
@@jimbo987 I would think the sound would disturb their ability to communicate and navigate. I live on the Salish Sea in BC Canada and we have instructions to disable sonar when near whales. Is sonar not within the Orcas hearing range?
“If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us do we not sink your goddamn boat?” -Shakespeare Orca (probably)
Her explanation of this orca behavior as a form of teenagers having fun validates something I felt when I looked out my window last summer to enjoy the view, only to see two small groundhogs greedily eating the flowers out of flowerpots on my patio. I ran outside and chased them away. Satisfied that I had taught them a lesson, I then made a mental note to buy taller plant stands for the pots. About 40 minutes later, I went to the kitchen for another cup of coffee and looked out the patio doors to see the two groundhogs eating my flowers again. And as I chased them away for a second time, I somehow got the distinct impression they thought the whole thing a funny game. It reminded me of when kids sneak into a farm field to steal apples and then run away from an angry farmer. I thought I was anthropomorphizing--but now I wonder!
Another very important point of note is the the orcas are not sinking boats to kill or eat the humans on board, which they very much are capable of attempting. They sink the boat and... that's it.
Groundhogs are keenly aware of how annoyed you are, for a very practical reason. Because their natural predator is coyotes, and they have defensive tunnel networks leading to multiple exits, groundhogs may _exhaust_ a predator to death with near impunity. The game is to coax the coyote to approach, all amped up stalking closer and closer, only for the groundhog to drop at the last second and reappear at another opening to repeat the prank. A group of groundhogs taking turns can tease a starving, dehydrated coyote all day long. As a prairie farmer, you have to mind your dog doesn't fall for it. I imagine this resolves with the more intelligent predators learning to leave groundhogs alone. See, it wouldn't work if the groundhogs' predator was a big snake incapable of learning. In that case it would be the prey animal wasting time and energy.
You're spot on with people's proximity to wild animals. I see it all the time with Elk, Moose & Bear. People are so sheltered, they think ALL wild animals are pets. When dealing with an animal over 1000 pounds that frequently goes bad for people.
People's stupidity on display. Idiots don't think the buffalo at Yellowstone will attack because "I'm not a threat". Well as a human we don't get to decide what is a threat, the buffalo do. Same with bears. I live in Northeast Tennessee and I am shocked by how many people (especially tourists) think that black bears are loving and peaceful.
In Australia people assume kangaroos are gentle, fluffy, oddities. A fully mature male kangaroo can disembowel a human with minimal exertion. They sit back on their tails and use those powerful legs to kick and rip. Fatalities are extremely rare. Our hopping friends rarely interact with humans in the wild, but watching them dispatching a dog is pretty traumatic. Humans are the most disruptive, often ignorant, species on the plant. 😢
Oh yeah, my neighbor pissed off the local crows and they got revenge, still do. On our whole block only one car gets blessed with their droppings. In the morning on their way out to feeding and then again, in the evening on their way back. His screaming at them doesn't help. I keep my head down, smile and wave if they (the crows) notice me and DON'T associate with him at all. I understand that it's multi-generational, passed down, that is..
Jonathon Swift's book Tale of a Tub talks about Sailors keeping empty wood barrels on their wood ships to give whales something to play with rather than playing with the hull of the boats and causing leaks/sinkings
@@Cara-39 Lol, I know, right? I’m glad I stumbled upon this video. I initially wasted 20 minutes watching videos from mainstream news outlets. Then finding this one, by an intelligent, knowledgeable person was a relief.
When I was a child in SE AK in the early 1970's there was a baby orca killed by a fishing boat with copper bottom paint, apparently it hit it with the metal bow cover. For a couple of months after that there was a bull orca that was attacking boats with copper bottom paint in Kasaan Bay. It hit our 25' skiff and we headed straight for the beach and rammed our boat up the beach, leaving the outboard lower unit on the water's edge, and we hiked home. It was a Biggs orca according to the local natives, and it eventually moved on. I remember being terrified that we were going to be bounced out of the boat and eaten (I was 7 years old).
YOU are the only person I've seen give detailed logical, biological reasons why this is happening. No one else is willing to go deeper to explain these theories. I'd made up my mind to believe this was risky behavior being taken to protect the pod from the boats. I had heard others say it was playful behavior, without explaining, and I thought, Orcas are too smart to engage in playful behavior with something they know can kill them. But now, after having explained that these are juveniles engaging in this behavior, I believe it. Thank you! New Subscriber!
Researches have found that due to the rebound in the bluefin tuna population, meaning plentiful food for killer whales, this has effectively given orca populations off the Iberian Peninsula more free time for play
If this woman had ever dealt with a mule she could not doubt the capacity of animals to seek revenge. In any case it is foolish to think that they don’t, I’ve dealt with animals all my life and I guarantee that they remember abuse and repay given the opportunity.
Back in my racetrack days, a mare kicked at me, tearing a hole in my pants and just missed the tibia. I'm pretty sure it was because her trainer had abused her, but instead of getting mad and trying to teach her a lesson, I baby talked her, petted her and eventually calmed her down. I got the feeling that that was a new experience for her. Later on, when she was being shoed by the farrier, the trainer came and got me to hold the lead shank. The mare trusted me. She didn't trust them. So yeah, I believe horses take revenge. I wasn't the recipient very often because I liked horses and tried to treat them right. As a caretaker, I viewed my job as having the horse's back. I was their buddy, their safe place, no matter what they did. That said, there are horses that just plain mean. Nevelle Pride comes to mind. You've got to respect the horse.
@groussac what you are describing has nothing to do with revenge. That is an example of building a mutually trusting relationship with animals. Which is great and a vital part of the training process. But in no way demonstrates revenge.
@@KPassionate I don't know how you define revenge. The mare struck back at her unsuspecting enemy, me, revenge for prior abuse. As she twisted and turned in the crossties, she knew the counterstrike was coming, but it never came. I convinced her that I wasn't on the abuse team. She believed me. That was that. I felt sorry for her. She and her trainer didn't get along, and there was nothing I could do about it. Not a lot of talent as a race horse, but enough talent to send you into the next world if you weren't careful. She could race but she couldn't win, and that was the crux of their problem. Expecting all horses to be good at racing would be like expecting all humans to be good swimmers. But that's the card they've been dealt. Some are good at opening stall doors. Others are good at eating tobacco. Still others go into ecstasy if you happen to know the right place to rub their neck, but no prizes are given out for this kind of thing. In the meantime, if you cross them, they will get even if they get a chance. They're more complex than we're comfortable admitting. We like to think that we're the only intelligent species, but there is such a thing as horse sense, and horses have it in spades.
When I was a kid, we weren't allowed to say that animals had emotions. I lived with pets and I knew they had. And eventually the scientific community changed their story...
Thanks for this well balanced explanation. I am a local sailor here in Portugal, and we have had these interactions with severe damages and three sinkings here nereby. Current strategy for many locals here is not stopping the boat, as initially suggested (the thre boats that sank and most of the damaged ones did stop and sat like dead ducks), but to start the engine, apply full power, and produce a lot of noise, eg hang a metal tube into the water and hammer on it, or use a grinder on it, or any other form of noise, that the animals can hear under water. Seems to work, as reported by some that have tried this new strategy. The young teenage orcas, as all others, don't like noise, and turn away. The more boats would be "noisy" when the teenagers approach and try to "play", the more orcas would learn that it is not so much fun after all to bang the boats rudders, and maybe over time this may stop these interactions, and hopefully they may fade out completely in some time. We shall see.
If I was to travel in those waters then I would invest in a decent underwater speaker that can reach high enough underwater decibles to make the direct area around your boat not worth the orcas entering. Then just figure out a way to weight the speaker down or lock it to the hull, perhaps a few of them, enough to stop the attacks, and only turn them up until it has the desired effect, just to avoid hurting the animals ear drums, etc... As it would be amazing if this behavior could be stopped before some fisherman shots one of these animals, and that could cause the behavior to escalate where the animals might even kill humans if they see one of their children purposely shot by a human. It would be far better to just take the path you suggest and hopefully change their behavior without any permanent harm coming to the orcas, humans, or boats.. It's funny because about 2-3 years ago there was a video of kids swimming with orcas, and most people were attacking anyone who was saying they would have paniced if that was their kids... shaming them for 'over reacting' to orca siting orcas never having attacked a human. But I points out, having seen transient orcas play with seals for half a day in a bay which was out in front of the town I grew up in.I remember seeing them play with seals many many times, as a game. Having seen the cruelty they are capable of, and knowing that they are very much different animals than resident orcas, I said if they were my kids I would not feel safe with them in the water beside transient orcas. If they were resident orcas I would likely not feel too much worry, though they are still wild animals and I would call them out of the water just the same. But if they were transient orcas I would be scared as hell, because they do kill other mammals just for sport, and fun, and they are insanely deadly hunters, smart, and honestly if they wanted to bring down humans they could with even more deadly assurance then a great white could. So yea, when i first heard orcas were attacking boats, before I learned more from later follow up reports, I knew they would be found to be transient orcas. Resident orcas are much more like humans, and almost like the best side of humanity. Extremely family oriented, they have grandmothers, who are respected in the family tribe, etc... And they are very much kind to each other, and don't seem to be the ones killing for fun, i am sure it is possible they do, but I have never heard of it, nor seen it with the resident orcas that were near where I grew up. They just seemed so much more social, unlike transient orcas which always seemed like the equivalent of a family of anti-social humans, who lived apport from society, and had very odd behaviors compared to regular social minded humans. Transient orcas no doubt raise in my mind images of a human family that are not quite right in the head.. Definitely not to be trusted with your life. Where resident orcas seem more focused on love, family, social order, etc.. Way closer to the best in mammal/human social behaviors...
That's a much more humane approach. I'll try that if I ever encounter one, but to be honest I wouldn't hesitate sticking them with a spear either. A few of those and I'm sure they would learn fast. That or a .22 or pelet round.
"Fun" (or pleasure) has a hormonal component (the release of dopamine which is pleasureable) whereas "revenge" is a thought process (as someone already noted). Thus, if they are doing it for "fun," the behaviour is driven by the hormonal release rather than some cognitive process.
I have a male orange cat, who definitely understands the concept if 'I will get you back' if I have done something to offend him. He likes sleeping in the bed close to me, but should I disturb him by pushing him, and maybe frightening him. And then he will get up, his ears become erect and he will jump and bite me. So I stop him, and he might go away, but later when I am not expecting it, for no apparent reason, he might jump up and bite my leg from behind or some other part of me. He has done this often enough for me to understand I have upset him, and he is annoyed and definitely tries to get me back. The concept of anthropomorphism is iffy, because despite human beings being the so called higher species of being, animals obviously have means of thinking and behaving in ways that we cannot hear or perceive because of our limitations. It does not mean that they are not able to communicate think reason and feel in ways that we have not been able to grasp yet.
You are such a good teacher. Learning from you does to my brain what having an exquisite 4-course meal does to my tummy: I'm am filled and happy. I was a rambunctious teen, and took all kinds of risks. Now, 53-years old, I hardly take any. I learned what I needed to know, and had lots of fun doing it. Your explanation is just perfect. Thank you, and have a great day.
Thank you for being honest with your viewers about the realities of this situation. As soon as one person perishes from an orca rudder strike, the entire pod will be killed in short order, probably due to some navy's "testing" of explosives (or poisons, etc.) in their vicinity. I wish more people were working to develop other non-lethal deterrents to alter the orcas' behavior (e.g., organic dye clouds, non-toxic irritating chemicals, underwater speakers blasting Celine Dion, etc.).
I always thought that whales are very aware of what is going on in their world. They are enormously intelligent. I would not doubt for a moment that what they are doing is deliberate. It’s their way of saying, “ Quit polluting our home and injuring our families.”
@marykuga4589 A recent workshop conducted by marine biologists concluded that the orcas are very likely just playing. Which is the scientific consensus and one I've obviously long agreed with. [1] archive.iwc.int/pages/download.php?direct=1&noattach=true&ref=22172&ext=pdf&k I am starting to think that people WANT it to be revenge rather than actually believing it is revenge. You're rightfully mad that we're polluting the ocean and want the orcas to teach humans a lesson. As Justin Gregg, a researcher for the Dolphin Communication Project, told the CBC, "thinking that orcas are out for vengeance is just an act of projection." [2] www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/friday-june-30-2023-episode-transcript-1.6894105
@@KPassionate of course that certainly isn’t based on any scientific knowledge on my part but if they aren’t angry they certainly should be. I notice watching Ocean Conservationists Namibia that sometimes fishermen on the docks get a hold of OCN to help an entangled seal, which is s good sign that fishermen are starting to see what can happen to their discarded lines. It’s just a drop in the bucket but OCN started as a drop in a bucket and now they have saved numerous seals. A pebble in the water has made wider and wider circles.
Everybody on UA-cam asks us to hit the like button. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. When you said "Are you not entertained?" that made me smile, and I was happy to hit it.
So interesting! But now I can’t help but feel there is a whole new context for the phrase, “hey parents, control your kids!” 😂 seriously though, thank you for the info - very informative!!!
The only slight snag in the idea of staying away from these Orcas is that most of these attacks are taking place in and around the Straights of Gibraltar. The straights of Gibraltar is the only natural sea passage connecting the Med to the rest of the worlds oceans. It has been a main arterial seaway since long before the time of Cleopatra. It’s not dissimilar to saying that boats should say stay away from the Eastern Seaboard of the US, it’s ridiculously impractical.
A few articles said this may be an orca fad that will stop when it's no longer fun. Another fad mentioned was the Southern Resident pod wearing dead salmon "hats" on their heads for a while in 1987. It started with one orca, caught on quickly with the rest of the pods and ended abt 6 weeks later. Most scientists think these Iberian orcas like the water jetting out from the boat rudder and when it stops, they ram into it in frustration/annoyance.
I am not so sure that animals can’t exhibit revenge behaviour. I created a floating nest for a family of Coots near my boat where I live. This year as the Coot family was growing large enough to live without the nest, a Crested Grebe pair have been attacking the Coots to drive the family off the nest to take it over. One morning as the Coot family was off feeding around the anchorage the Grebe mother laid an egg in the nest and set about personalizing the nest with some plastic colorful objects. The Grebes had killed one of the coot chicks earlier and pushed several unhatched eggs off the nest. When the mother Coot returned she immediately attacked the egg aggressively puncturing it half a dozen times, then eating the egg completely including every part of the shell. She then tried to eat the plastic adornments (but thankfully couldn’t) she then set about pulling the nest material about violently to reshape it to suit herself. The way she punctured the egg looked very revengeful to me.
The orcas simply want to drive the injury-causing boats out of 'their' territory. Same as a human would do if an orca entered & caused injury in their back yard. The orcas are treating the boats as they would treat any 'natural' predator who could cause them injury.
There are lots of examples of one species investing time and energy to make life miserable for a competing species. It's especially common with flocking birds. Some social insects will even sacrifice their own lives just to teach a learning threat like a bear or a human a painful lesson. So it needn't be a conscious behaviour, even though it works best, ironically, on the most intelligent competitors. Still I don't see how these Gladis orcas are gaining anything for their species (and so, indirectly, their own genes) by this behaviour.
The Robertson family's yacht was sunk in a few minutes by Orca attack in the Pacific. They survived in a dinghy for a month or more. It's one of the great survival stories. Orca attack is worth considering when designing boats.
Yes, I am entertained! Looking forward to binging all your videos. I volunteer at The Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach. It was my desire to help with the plight of the Tokitae and Orcas in the Puget sound that motivated me. So I help locally and follow my northern neighbors stories.
I was recently in this region and I was informed that local fishermen from a nearby nation attacked the Orca due to the Orca stealing their catch. I also would like to point out here that despite the region being known as the Straits of Gibraltar, the incidents have occurred further out more towards the opening of the straits into the Atlantic between Spain and Morroco.
Thank you for all the info! I saw a pack of wild stupid teens chasing a moma bear who had 3 cubs with her in the Smokey mtns. Everyone was yelling and telling them to stop. Finally the moma and cubs got away in some dense brush. These teens had no idea how bad it could of ended for them. And it infuriated me being a moma of 5 myself. I would have attacked if I thought anyone was chasing my babies! People need to smarten up and remember they are wild animals and should be enjoyed from a distance.
Im sorry but I just cant believe 3 teenagers were chasing a fully grown bear. Having been a rather rambunctious teen boy once, I cant imagine any scenario which I would have thought it amusing to chase a wild animal that can kill me in half a second.
The orcas test the vessels for further attacks on vessels. This might look playful, but it is in fact part of a learning process many predators show. They try the parts, how they behave, and then start with small attacks until they develop systematic hunting strategies. Part of these tests is to explore whether or not there will be something eatable from the vessels.
It is great to hear the opinion of an expert. Your fear has been mine from the start in that whatever the reason this is bound to end tragically for both humans and the whales. As a layperson, I don't know of any behavioral modification measures that might be taken by humans except perhaps dropping small charges like M-80 firecrackers over the side during these attacks so that it might make this "play" an unpleasant experience without hurting the whales.
Maybe do something to the rudder, maybe a timed shock, Orca can take shallow wounds right? I can image brushing against light barbed wire would put them off in a way that doesn't seem like the boats/humans are attacking them. Certainly want to avoid creating more attacks based on revenge / threat elimination like what causes Wolf attacks.
@@michaelhoran407 You obviously didn't read my comment "an unpleasant experience WITHOUT harming the whales." This can easily be done with a small charge that boaters can keep on board. It's called aversion therapy in human terms. If these whales in their play sink a vessel and cost a human life then much more harmful things may have to be done including eliminating the perpetrators. Not my choice but governments will be forced to take action to protect humans. It doesn't matter if you or I like it that is the way the human world is.
By far the smartest and most thorough and reasoned analysis I've heard about the orca attacks. It's just unfortunate that the "play" is likely to continue and the result could be harm to both orcas and humans.
@@KPassionateSince the average female orca weighs about 3 tons, what they consider a gentle nudge can do major damage to a boat, and could easily kill a human.
It's the Orca youngsters more impulsive reaction to discovering that 'boats' can cause their species members injuries, as opposed to the adults more reserved, wait & see reaction, but I would strongly disagree it has anything to do w/ 'play.'
She forgot to add that animals are playing when they are learning about surroundings, the actual play time is created to learn about food a bit more, to push the boundaries and to find out what can be utilised. Orcas maybe have learned that there is potential food on the board as they probably had opportunities to get food from the ships. Maybe someone get rid of left overs or fed them for fun, then next step they have learned when it is sinking there is actually food on it, they also are trying how dangerous human can be and how much they can push them. Playing is exploring very much the boundary, but only reason for playing in orcas case it is learning about the new food possibilities. Only the reason why they are playing in water parks, they get fed food and if they not very playful they would not get fed… they clever and they know it … food is very much what they are looking. Her explanation is not very good actually as biologists she talked about orcas like about kids … they are not a naughty teenagers .. they are animals who are in the age of learning and exploring and developing knowledge. One day they would learn that human being can be eaten. It maybe already happened, someone came across of a corps … we don’t know how many bodies are dumped in the sea …it takes just one mother to learn and easily target and the pod would be instructed. I think it is just a matter of time when they begin “playing “ with humans. Dolphins also kill by playing, it is well known fact. So lions… so tigers and even elephants.. cows … dogs … they are animals .. they have ability to kill…
Great analysis of the orca situation. Best one I’ve heard as a matter of fact compared to some of the news outlets. Which makes sense since you’re a biologist directly working with these animals. Excellent job.
We've been at the area (Gulf of Cadiz) engaged in some naval drills two weeks ago. We met those orcas around eight miles south off Cp. Trafalgar. When we headed to the west, going further into the ocean, we saw them no more. The area were we found them is known to be the blue fin tuna passage. So, as soon as we left the zone no more orcas were spoted. Anyway, I agree with the "It's fun" theory. Orcas, as very very smart mammals are known to be able to get bored.
Good to hear about the new rescue effort you're helping come to fruition. Also, noted that it is near enough to dear Joey Sea Otter's birthday that I'll say "Happy 3rd Birthday Joey!" Waiter! More clams please! Cheers!
Well avoid being in your boat if at all possible lol. And I’m wondering if some type of sound deterrent can be implemented. But honestly I’m not a boater so I have no idea what kind of technology is available. I just know about whale behavior
i just watched this episode, but had the sound off because my sons were in the room talking... I may not have the full grasp of it, but the attacks are happening as I'm understanding it, because they don't have motorcycles? jk... i did watch sound off though, for the affore mentioned reason and still found myself being informed and entertained. I think that speaks volumes regarding my thoughts about how well this was done. Bravo.
Avoid that area seems quite hard 'cause it's mandatory for entering Straights of Gibraltar that is the only way to enter or exit from mediterran sea. In fact if we look at those spots where boats have been attacked, some points are basically at the Gibraltar exit, so it's very unlikely that boats can go elsewhere. That's a big issue, we can't avoid them in total. We may find alternative routes from Portugal but at some point if you need to enter the Mediterranean Sea, you have to pass into the straights. I've bad feelings about this whole situation. I'm quite sure that people at some point won't accept to sink and will fight back. I also think isn't a revenge issue, it's more a threat feeling or competition about food since in that area fishermen and orcas are often competing for it. There were rumors that fishermen could have hurted some Orcas, there were rumors that orcas tried to steal food from fishermen boats... It's mostly rumors so far, nothing clarified from where this change of behaviour comes from. I'm too against the revenge option. Unless there is something we don't know yet. I'd personally feel safe in water with them no matter what. I just love them so much. :)
Most of the attacks are on people’s sail boats though and not commercial crafts. So if they were debating taking the boat out for a ride or having a beach picnic I’d pick the latter 😂. It does seem like the situation is escalating and will end badly on both sides. I agree with you
Isn’t there some kinda sonar that you could drop just under the surface which emits a noise which the orcas find unpleasant? Obviously this could backfire and antagonise them more , but beats lethal force which I’m sure will begin to happen when peoples lives are at risk
That's a very good hypothesis. Orca intelligence should not be underestimated. The original adult might have been responding defensively and/or attempting to keep a measure of control over its environment. Naturally the youngsters would mimick.
I've always thought of myself as a logical thinking person, but your videos made me realize that I'm also impressionable. Due to the news and the media I have been anthropomorphizing these orcas, attributing revenge as a motivator. but you're right, animals don't think like us, and orcas have only been aggressive towards humans in captivity, why would they only change now, when we've been fishing in their territories for so long and damaging them with our boats? The explanation of the game makes a lot of sense for an intelligent, social and curious animal like orcas... besides, if they really wanted to sink ships it would surely be to hunt (as they do when they take seals out of the ice) and if that were the case they would already have there have been victims.
There have been plenty of cases of orca being aggressive to humans in the wild. It has just happened more in captivity simply because they interact more in captivity which makes the chances higher. But in the case of the Iberian orcas I think play is the answer. Even though play can also be deadly!
@@KPassionate I just hope they lose interest soon. The damage to these boats is already making a lot of people angry and scared, the media isn't helping. But I worry that someone will fall overboard during these attacks, or that help will not arrive before the boat capsizes. Not only do I care about people... but it wouldn't be the first time that wild animals that learn bad habits like these end up being hunted.
@@KPassionateI’ve always thought that there must’ve been some cases of aggression towards humans in the wild but I’ve never heard of one, do you have any sources?
Thanks! This explanation makes a lot of sense. I recently read some improbable and disturbing comments on the subject. This feels really upsetting that so much is at risk to both humans and orcas
F..k the humans I and many others could not careless for them, they have behaved entitled for way too long and destroyed our planet and our oceans, skies, our water, even space with a f...k load of junk flying about humans can bugger off for all I care.
Wow! So interesting. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I have been a whale lover for my entire life, and that’s a very long time. I agree with you that if the animals are changing their behaviour because humans are close by or in their space then we have caused harm to those animals. I live in Alberta 🇨🇦, when we see people stopped on the mountain highways to take pictures of wildlife, that’s one thing but when we see them try to get very close to the animals or even touch them (bears, big horns, mountain goats, moose, bison, elk, etc.) and the people get in trouble….. which means the animals get in trouble. We absolutely need to insist that everyone respect their space. Thank you for the info. ✊👍
Hello Catherine. Um, ... the presenter offered the view that the orcas were coming up to boats and bumping and biting rudders because it was fun for them. Sailors are doing their best to avoid these orcas but they are choosing to come up to boats. To play. To scratch their heads on the rudder. To bite the rudder to see what it's made of. Teenage hijinks. The solution is for sailors to allow these teenage orcas to learn for themselves that it isn't so much fun after all. Loud and unpleasant noises will work. Sand and chilli in the blowhole will help. Then they'll stay away from boats and not put themselves in harms way. For those who insist it's all because the orcas are hungry, well, if they were hungry they'd be chasing and catching fish, not playing with boats.
While Orca have been stated by everyone to be highly intellectual, some say even more than us. Aside from Hollywood portraying them as revengeful I don’t believe they are being malicious in any way whatsoever. Thank you for your insight as it wasn’t a thought in my mind at all
Much the same with wolves, sure they attack domesticated animals but Iirc all but 1 human fatalities to wolves in the US are attributed to humans hunting them. Both wolves and orca are intelligent pack hunters so there is something to learn from there.
I know this isn't the video for it, and I apologize. With your walruses, they have their tusks cut and capped. does that affect their lives in any significant way?@@KPassionate
@matthewb8329 They aren’t ever cut. They are simply young walruses so their tusks are still growing. The caps help to protect them from cracking or breaking as they grow. Thanks for asking
Nicley done video and great explanation. You seem to be very cool and smart. I am not particularly interested in Marine stuff, but I am interested in learning new things from qualified people. So, I am subscribing to this channel. Keep up the great work.
Thank you for bringing common sense along with your education and experience. I've been watching this happen since there were just a couple boats with the rudders torn off. People try to put human emotion onto animals and it is never good for the animals.
Lol I have a ‘Yacht’. It’s 34 feet & 54 years old (but fully restored!) & it’s all I have. (Except a bicycle & a dinghy). I live on it. & yes; I have it better than anyone stuck living on land. I do feel sorry for landlubbers lol.
In 1977 we still thought all killer whales were the same. Now we know there are at least 10 different types, each with a different preferred prey, hunting style, dialect, familial structure, etc. Many of these ecotypes are likely different species all together. In 1977, commercial whaling was still legal. Our understanding of these animals has come a long way since then.
I think a good portion of these reported "attacks" are overreactions as well. Right now any orca encounter in the region is thought to be an attack. The recent reported attack in the North Sea is a good example of this. A 72yo man reported multiple "soft shocks" on the aluminum hull of his sailing yacht and as soon as he spotted the lone orca he thought of the Iberian Peninsula attacks and assumed he was under attack as well. It seems to me from the behavior reported by the man the orca was simply behaving like a curious animal as it never damaged anything, circled and returned a few times much like we often see them do with other encounters that are quite peaceful. The bumps it made along the hull were simply it saying hello or maybe rubbing on the hull, and not the "Ramming Attack" characterized in so many of the news reports of incident claiming the behavior has spread to another region.
That make sense, a friend told me that they mainly seem to "attack" sailboats but they seem to loose their interest in it after a while. There where a guy from Sweden my friend helped with the sailboat recently for a trip down to Greece, but he had to abort the sailing because Orcas did buff on the hull and caused ruptures in the glassfiber outside the southern coast of Spain. I personally don't think they are after humans, but probably a toy to play with and maybe scratching off parasites ´from their skin on the hull, my guess., on very long run sailings a lot of marine creatures tend to grow on the hull, so i wonder if they also in some case want to eat some of those animals, like goosenecks barnacles, crabs, etc or some marine algae plants they need vitamins or nutrients from, i don't know...
@@sheep1ewe Yeah it must also be recognized that this is isolated to this region. If this were happening anywhere else I would more open to attribute it to some behavior like using the boats to scratch themselves on or the rudders as a toy because the uniques shape is interesting to them and has some natural attraction. But sailboats and their unique rudders have been around too long for this to just suddenly be happening if that were the cause. Even the naughty teenager argument doesn't hold up to that scrutiny because this behavior is relatively fresh and isolated and orca and sailboats (of this style) have shared the water for a century and a half all over the world. The big issue is how can it be stopped? How do you discourage an orca from doing this? I have saw a video of racers banging on the hull and it seemed to discourage them. But that was a lot of people banging away. They are not afraid of too many things. Is there a repellent of any kind that could be dispersed? (Other than dumping your black-water tanks) Something they don't like, an orca spray. I have the name for it already - "Whale Away"!
@@socket_error1000 I don't know, but sharks fear streams of compressed air, but i am not sure Orcas does actualy care about that since their breathing organs are not affected by that as for the sharks. I wonder if they are sensitive to chemical substances like capsaicin or extreme bitter taste? I know some, but not all mammals are. Rats are to some extent, but they hawe an extreme tolerance for those, but foxes seem to be pretty much as out own level, so i don' know...
@@sheep1ewe Yeah it is hard to know. I don't think this is anything anyone has ever even considered because orca have never been a nuisance or threat animal in any way before this. The big problem with capsaicin is normally it is inhaled and used to effect the eyes and sinuses. If it could be delivered to a orca in the water it might be very dangerous for the animal. The best potential would be some sort of acoustic deterrent that could be broadcast using an underwater speaker; if there is any sound level and pattern they might be more sensitive to. I just don't know if they have any sensitivity that might be capable of making them leave an area. Hopefully someone does some work on this and helps develops some solution before it becomes crazy people using gaffs and rifles on any orca that comes near their yacht.
@@socket_error1000 Yes, and i strongly suspect that the tourism and probably people feeding them from boats in order to bring them to the tourist "whale safari" boats has changed parts of their behavior, although being being closely related, Orcas are not dolphins, but i guess it sound more cute or something to claim that they are, people nowadays seem to call about anything that even remotely remains of a dolphine for dolphins, even Thumbler whales (Phocoena phocoena in latin, what is their name in English?) which are no dolphins at all and newer has been dolphins, but perhaps vagely looks like one and has about the same size of the more popular dolphin specimens one can see on zoo, but still people call them dolphins for some weird reason. so i would not be supprised if that is the case people actualy do feed wild orcas in order to make good posers for the tourists... dolplhines, dolplhines,
Or it could be that orcas are far more intelligent than we give them credit for, and are still simply protecting their habitat, being now critically endangered
It makes no sense that Orcas harmed by fishing boats would be attacking sailing boats not fishing boats, those look quite different underwater as well as above. Plus a sail boat underwater has a shape similar to marine mammals. So there is something else going on here
I think the solution is to equip all boats in the area with a way to "sour" the fun that doesn't hurt them but that removes the fun element by making it uncomfortable. For instance, a sound burst just as they are attacking in a frequency that they don't like. Or a chemical in the water that's mildly irritable. Any slight input that changes their perception of this being fun short of giving them electric shocks!
Even my cat seeks revenge on me. I feel like it’s naive to assume such an intelligent animal isn’t capable of typical human behaviour such as pettiness and holding a grudge etc. Even less advanced animals so often seem to have their behaviour explained away from the obvious. It always feels based in this idea of what the animal supposedly doesn’t understand or isn’t capable of processing. Whereas if we just accepted the possibility that animals DO understand and are capable of blatant and obvious behaviour, their behaviour makes a lot more sense.
I agree wholeheartedly. Behaviorists routinely seem to dismiss cognitive abilities, and so, motives of animals. I am a veterinarian with nearly 40 years in.
I never bought into the "revenge" argument. Too much anthropomorphism gets in the way of clear-eyed thinking. My first theory was that the older ones are teaching the youger ones how to attack the fins of whales - which they do. Most modern sailboats have a fin type keel and a seperate hung rudder, which can look very whale-like. But, if the preffered food of the Iberian orca is tuna, that theory seems less likely. SO now I wonder about the type of boats being attacked. Are they all similar sailboats? Or, are there commercial or private powerboats in th emix - and to what ratio. With 250 attacks reported, there must be some data as to vessel description and a damage report. If all types of boats are being attacked, and in the proportion to their numbers in the area, then my second theory is in agreement with this video: They are playing. Orca play with their prey often. They do it with penguins, sharks, seals, and...whales.
That is the only 👍 I have ever been charmed into giving. Normally asking for 'likes' puts me off, and I have been known to unsubscribe. Preceeding some quality, informative content certainly helped! Other UA-camrs ask for 'likes' before they have provided anything to 'like'. Yes, I was definitely entertained by your verbal and visual information, as well as your presentation. How could I not give you a 👍 ? Thank you for all your effort to educate in an engaging way. (OCN's algorithm led me to your channel. 😊)
@@KPassionate Thank you, K.P.! 😊 I didn't put in nearly the same amount of effort as you, to warrant a 👍, but I will accept your 👍 with appreciation, and count myself lucky that I have your seal of approval. ✨️ 🦭 ✨️
Yeah, I kind of felt the "revenge" plot line perpetuated by the media was pretty thin. Too much anthropomorphism. Having said that, orca do target and feed upon whales. Why do I mention whales? Because modern sailboats typically have an almost flat, very mildly rounded hull, with a rudder that looks very much like a fin. In fact, they've been specifically designed that way, as they're more efficient underwater. The downside of this rudder design is that it has a single attachment point to the boat, unlike boats with full keels or skegs with large, plank-like rudders attached at multiple points, which look nothing like fins. The point being, from under water, the sailboat will look remarkably whale-like, relatively slow moving, with a broad belly and what looks like pectoral fins. In addition to ramming tactics during their attacks on whales, orca will also typically go after the pectoral fins in an effort to disable the whale. Now, orca are definitely smart enough to differentiate actual whales from sailboats, but it makes me wonder if the sailboats aren't a really good teaching tool for educating young orca on how to hunt and disable whales. With unfortunate consequences for the boaters, of course. And during the course of their attack on a sailboat with one of these fin rudders, when enough pressure is applied to that single attachment post, it will snap and/or shatter the fiberglass around it, leading to a massive, irreparable hole in a compartment that is rarely water-tight, and the vessel will inevitably sink. I also agree with your "juvenile behavior" assessment, as I'm sure it's fun for the orca. With Gladis Blanca teaching them, though, one has to ask, "What is she teaching? And why?" The above makes the most sense to me, but who knows? Given the number of sailboats that routinely pass through that area, though, we should be working on a solution. Perhaps an underwater acoustic device that generates a sound the orca don't particularly like or tolerate? No harm done to the orca, and no nibbling on rudders. Just a thought. Thanks so much for sharing yours.
Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it! Even if a boat looks whale-like, an orca would be able to tell the difference. Their echolocation is essentially an ultrasound that allows them to "see" muscle, fat, bones, organs, etc. It's so powerful that they can even tell when an animal is pregnant. It is how they are able to surgically target a shark's liver. Echolocating on a boat would tell the orca that it is a hard object that can't be consumed.
Watch out Ahab! It be your white whale!!!! Seriously, I agree we get to close to the animals. Do we forget that those areas on the planet are more theirs than ours? Who knew all teenagers have somthing in common!!!😂
My brother used to park his truck behind my parent’s store because he didn’t want it getting door dings in the regular parking lot. Made deliveries a lot harder to unload and me and delivery drivers would grumble about the truck. I think the squirrels took note because we started hearing my brother’s car alarm go off randomly. Every time my brother went racing out screaming about calling the cops to no one other than some chattering squirrels. My parents put up some extra cameras and we finally caught some squirrels throwing acorns at his truck and then just sitting and watching as the car alarm went off. All that chattering was the squirrels laughing at him 😂
Speaking as someone that has made 3 passages across the Atlantic---MAKE NOISE! Run the engine to protect your rudder, pull your windvane (autopilot) out of the water, then MAKE NOISE. Put a grappling pole in the water and bang on it with a winch handle. Orcas and whales do not like sharp loud noises. These animals need to learn that pushing around a sailboat is not so much fun.
I've always loved orcas and been fascinated by their intelligence. I wish mankind took more of a "love and observe from afar" stance with animals and marine life. I hope we can figure out a solution to keep the orcas safe before any human lives are lost.
The thing is, they're not targeting boats with propellers. They're almost specifically targeting monohulled sailing vessels, yachts, catamarans, and other vessels with spade rudders.
Interesting stuff . I have been following this story. Apparently they are targeting the rudder of the boats involved. so glad I found your site Keep us posted.
Back in 2003, I was in the Spanish Navy, escorting US merchant ships crossing the Strait of Gibraltar to go to Irak. And I saw a pod of orcas. Adults with calves. It was unreal. I still remember it as the greatest animal encounter I ever had (with my 2 dogs permission😁). It is quite possible that those orcas were from the same pod who have been breaking ships in the last 4 years. Back then, they kept a great distance with our ship (it was a big war ship) and there wasn't any trouble at all. Just beauty. But when the "attacks" on boats began, I remember I thought that something like that had to happen at one point. And that's because I saw from first hand how many ships crossed that strait every day. It's literally full of ships everywhere. Big ones, small ones, huge ones, cruisers, fast huge ferries that cross from Europe to Africa, that left a huge wake behind due to the enormous power of their engines... And I thought if all that 24/7 amount of noise, ➕ The tremendous wounds that the propellers of the ships cause in the poor whales could be the reason for the attacks. But I'm not a marine biologist, and what I know about killer whales, is what I've seen in documentaries, so this theory of teenage punk orcas makes sense too, because it is true that there are other straits in other oceans with a lot of maritime traffic, and killer whales do not do that. I do not know... But I really liked the video.
That’s a cool story! Thanks for sharing. It’s absolutely true that the more we interact with wildlife the more chances there will be for things like the Gibraltar attacks to happen.
3:35 elephants are capable of revenge type behaviour right? Orcas are on of if not the smartest marine mammals out there so it wouldn’t surprise me at all!
Many of the stories about elephants getting revenge are anecdotal or even fictionalized to some extent. Like the story about the elephant who trampled a woman and then returned to trample her funeral? Those were two different elephants AND two different women. Additionally, several news sources were unable to confirm the details of these to events and many of the reports are conflicting. Still, as I said in the video, animals absolutely engage in reciprocity or retaliation. Biologist don't like to use anthropomorphic terms like revenge, which in this case implies a level of moral justification, because it often leads to the misattribution of animal behavior. Which is what is happening with these whales. Many people seem to WANT it to be revenge when it is the consensus among marine biologists that these animals are simply playing.
Fear would make them stay away or swim away when hearing a boat, we can definitively call revenge because is a behaviour against something that happened in the past
Why are they called killer whales → ua-cam.com/video/FIwjehSYKJg/v-deo.html
Orcas are eating shark livers → ua-cam.com/video/SRdHMG7mQ90/v-deo.html
Learn more about the different orca ecotypes → ua-cam.com/video/TnJVE2oNJH0/v-deo.html
A shocking number of orcas were caught in fishing nets → ua-cam.com/video/Xdu-6JavJcg/v-deo.html
Help the Oregon Coast Aquarium build a new rescue center → streamlabscharity.com/oregon-coast-aquarium
@knobjockey76 I have done a video on what to do about Tokitae
European are over fishing screwing the ecosystem. Us british are have a problem with the french & spanish taking to much with their super trawlers bunch idoits
Has anyone investigated whether the boats sonar is causing them to act this way?
@@scottk6659 traditional sonar does not, sailboaters are to cheap to use chirp, the sht i used to work on for the navy used ELF... which would disorientate and i would lean on that wavelegth was within large body resonant frequencys
@@jimbo987 I would think the sound would disturb their ability to communicate and navigate.
I live on the Salish Sea in BC Canada and we have instructions to disable sonar when near whales.
Is sonar not within the Orcas hearing range?
“If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us do we not sink your goddamn boat?” -Shakespeare Orca (probably)
Totally agree !,
So this is the orca equivalent of knocking over mailboxes. That is absolutely wild, and even more interesting in its own way than revenge.
I think so too!
maybe if the mailbox had something living in it
Interesting if it's not you knee deep in seawater I'd guess
Tipping cows
@@Bachconcertos pretty much! 😂
Her explanation of this orca behavior as a form of teenagers having fun validates something I felt when I looked out my window last summer to enjoy the view, only to see two small groundhogs greedily eating the flowers out of flowerpots on my patio.
I ran outside and chased them away. Satisfied that I had taught them a lesson, I then made a mental note to buy taller plant stands for the pots.
About 40 minutes later, I went to the kitchen for another cup of coffee and looked out the patio doors to see the two groundhogs eating my flowers again.
And as I chased them away for a second time, I somehow got the distinct impression they thought the whole thing a funny game. It reminded me of when kids sneak into a farm field to steal apples and then run away from an angry farmer.
I thought I was anthropomorphizing--but now I wonder!
Another very important point of note is the the orcas are not sinking boats to kill or eat the humans on board, which they very much are capable of attempting. They sink the boat and... that's it.
This is the most British story
Groundhogs are keenly aware of how annoyed you are, for a very practical reason. Because their natural predator is coyotes, and they have defensive tunnel networks leading to multiple exits, groundhogs may _exhaust_ a predator to death with near impunity. The game is to coax the coyote to approach, all amped up stalking closer and closer, only for the groundhog to drop at the last second and reappear at another opening to repeat the prank. A group of groundhogs taking turns can tease a starving, dehydrated coyote all day long. As a prairie farmer, you have to mind your dog doesn't fall for it. I imagine this resolves with the more intelligent predators learning to leave groundhogs alone.
See, it wouldn't work if the groundhogs' predator was a big snake incapable of learning. In that case it would be the prey animal wasting time and energy.
It's Farmer Maggot again!
Next up: _Cocaine Orcas_
You're spot on with people's proximity to wild animals. I see it all the time with Elk, Moose & Bear. People are so sheltered, they think ALL wild animals are pets. When dealing with an animal over 1000 pounds that frequently goes bad for people.
100%! I am so tired of people thinking animals want to be around them. The ego
People's stupidity on display. Idiots don't think the buffalo at Yellowstone will attack because "I'm not a threat". Well as a human we don't get to decide what is a threat, the buffalo do.
Same with bears. I live in Northeast Tennessee and I am shocked by how many people (especially tourists) think that black bears are loving and peaceful.
In Australia people assume kangaroos are gentle, fluffy, oddities. A fully mature male kangaroo can disembowel a human with minimal exertion. They sit back on their tails and use those powerful legs to kick and rip. Fatalities are extremely rare. Our hopping friends rarely interact with humans in the wild, but watching them dispatching a dog is pretty traumatic.
Humans are the most disruptive, often ignorant, species on the plant. 😢
@@billorr2213 kangaroos scare the crap out of me honestly 😂
I cant imagine how terrifying itd be to get in a life raft after Orcas have just sunk my boat
crows have long memories and will recognize tormentors up to 15 years afterwards and will strike back
people underestimate the other animals we share the world with all the time - whales are probably smarter than humans if you ask me . . .
Crows are really intelligent.
Oh yeah, my neighbor pissed off the local crows and they got revenge, still do. On our whole block only one car gets blessed with their droppings. In the morning on their way out to feeding and then again, in the evening on their way back. His screaming at them doesn't help.
I keep my head down, smile and wave if they (the crows) notice me and DON'T associate with him at all. I understand that it's multi-generational, passed down, that is..
Crows don't live that long.
Jonathon Swift's book Tale of a Tub talks about Sailors keeping empty wood barrels on their wood ships to give whales something to play with rather than playing with the hull of the boats and causing leaks/sinkings
This comment should have had more hangtime 😀 Exactly, toss the orcas some baseballs
@@42WasTheAnswerI recommend this an. few other really helpful comments be pinned to the top!
@@42WasTheAnswer More like basketballs.
If they are merely teenagers out for fun, then chase them away with underwater speakers playing Frank Sinatra records.
😂
Or math lectures!
These adolescent orcas have watched too many tik tok videos and this is the latest challenge.
@@jennifercooper3846 🤣🤣 Kids these days; if they're not eating laundry pods, they're ramming boats or wearing dead salmon hats!
@@Cara-39 Lol, I know, right?
I’m glad I stumbled upon this video. I initially wasted 20 minutes watching videos from mainstream news outlets. Then finding this one, by an intelligent, knowledgeable person was a relief.
When I was a child in SE AK in the early 1970's there was a baby orca killed by a fishing boat with copper bottom paint, apparently it hit it with the metal bow cover. For a couple of months after that there was a bull orca that was attacking boats with copper bottom paint in Kasaan Bay. It hit our 25' skiff and we headed straight for the beach and rammed our boat up the beach, leaving the outboard lower unit on the water's edge, and we hiked home. It was a Biggs orca according to the local natives, and it eventually moved on. I remember being terrified that we were going to be bounced out of the boat and eaten (I was 7 years old).
YOU are the only person I've seen give detailed logical, biological reasons why this is happening. No one else is willing to go deeper to explain these theories. I'd made up my mind to believe this was risky behavior being taken to protect the pod from the boats. I had heard others say it was playful behavior, without explaining, and I thought, Orcas are too smart to engage in playful behavior with something they know can kill them. But now, after having explained that these are juveniles engaging in this behavior, I believe it. Thank you! New Subscriber!
Researches have found that due to the rebound in the bluefin tuna population, meaning plentiful food for killer whales, this has effectively given orca populations off the Iberian Peninsula more free time for play
If this woman had ever dealt with a mule she could not doubt the capacity of animals to seek revenge.
In any case it is foolish to think that they don’t, I’ve dealt with animals all my life and I guarantee that they remember abuse and repay given the opportunity.
Back in my racetrack days, a mare kicked at me, tearing a hole in my pants and just missed the tibia. I'm pretty sure it was because her trainer had abused her, but instead of getting mad and trying to teach her a lesson, I baby talked her, petted her and eventually calmed her down. I got the feeling that that was a new experience for her. Later on, when she was being shoed by the farrier, the trainer came and got me to hold the lead shank. The mare trusted me. She didn't trust them. So yeah, I believe horses take revenge. I wasn't the recipient very often because I liked horses and tried to treat them right. As a caretaker, I viewed my job as having the horse's back. I was their buddy, their safe place, no matter what they did. That said, there are horses that just plain mean. Nevelle Pride comes to mind. You've got to respect the horse.
@groussac what you are describing has nothing to do with revenge. That is an example of building a mutually trusting relationship with animals. Which is great and a vital part of the training process. But in no way demonstrates revenge.
@@KPassionate I don't know how you define revenge. The mare struck back at her unsuspecting enemy, me, revenge for prior abuse. As she twisted and turned in the crossties, she knew the counterstrike was coming, but it never came. I convinced her that I wasn't on the abuse team. She believed me. That was that. I felt sorry for her. She and her trainer didn't get along, and there was nothing I could do about it. Not a lot of talent as a race horse, but enough talent to send you into the next world if you weren't careful. She could race but she couldn't win, and that was the crux of their problem. Expecting all horses to be good at racing would be like expecting all humans to be good swimmers. But that's the card they've been dealt. Some are good at opening stall doors. Others are good at eating tobacco. Still others go into ecstasy if you happen to know the right place to rub their neck, but no prizes are given out for this kind of thing. In the meantime, if you cross them, they will get even if they get a chance. They're more complex than we're comfortable admitting. We like to think that we're the only intelligent species, but there is such a thing as horse sense, and horses have it in spades.
When I was a kid, we weren't allowed to say that animals had emotions. I lived with pets and I knew they had. And eventually the scientific community changed their story...
Animals can hold a grudge. My French Bulldog is meticulously curating his list of personal enemies. But I wouldn’t call it revenge.
Thanks for this well balanced explanation. I am a local sailor here in Portugal, and we have had these interactions with severe damages and three sinkings here nereby. Current strategy for many locals here is not stopping the boat, as initially suggested (the thre boats that sank and most of the damaged ones did stop and sat like dead ducks), but to start the engine, apply full power, and produce a lot of noise, eg hang a metal tube into the water and hammer on it, or use a grinder on it, or any other form of noise, that the animals can hear under water. Seems to work, as reported by some that have tried this new strategy. The young teenage orcas, as all others, don't like noise, and turn away. The more boats would be "noisy" when the teenagers approach and try to "play", the more orcas would learn that it is not so much fun after all to bang the boats rudders, and maybe over time this may stop these interactions, and hopefully they may fade out completely in some time. We shall see.
Amazing! I was wondering if a sound deterrent was possible. I hope this will correct the behavior swiftly. Thanks for the insider info!
If I was to travel in those waters then I would invest in a decent underwater speaker that can reach high enough underwater decibles to make the direct area around your boat not worth the orcas entering. Then just figure out a way to weight the speaker down or lock it to the hull, perhaps a few of them, enough to stop the attacks, and only turn them up until it has the desired effect, just to avoid hurting the animals ear drums, etc... As it would be amazing if this behavior could be stopped before some fisherman shots one of these animals, and that could cause the behavior to escalate where the animals might even kill humans if they see one of their children purposely shot by a human. It would be far better to just take the path you suggest and hopefully change their behavior without any permanent harm coming to the orcas, humans, or boats..
It's funny because about 2-3 years ago there was a video of kids swimming with orcas, and most people were attacking anyone who was saying they would have paniced if that was their kids... shaming them for 'over reacting' to orca siting orcas never having attacked a human. But I points out, having seen transient orcas play with seals for half a day in a bay which was out in front of the town I grew up in.I remember seeing them play with seals many many times, as a game. Having seen the cruelty they are capable of, and knowing that they are very much different animals than resident orcas, I said if they were my kids I would not feel safe with them in the water beside transient orcas. If they were resident orcas I would likely not feel too much worry, though they are still wild animals and I would call them out of the water just the same. But if they were transient orcas I would be scared as hell, because they do kill other mammals just for sport, and fun, and they are insanely deadly hunters, smart, and honestly if they wanted to bring down humans they could with even more deadly assurance then a great white could. So yea, when i first heard orcas were attacking boats, before I learned more from later follow up reports, I knew they would be found to be transient orcas.
Resident orcas are much more like humans, and almost like the best side of humanity. Extremely family oriented, they have grandmothers, who are respected in the family tribe, etc... And they are very much kind to each other, and don't seem to be the ones killing for fun, i am sure it is possible they do, but I have never heard of it, nor seen it with the resident orcas that were near where I grew up. They just seemed so much more social, unlike transient orcas which always seemed like the equivalent of a family of anti-social humans, who lived apport from society, and had very odd behaviors compared to regular social minded humans. Transient orcas no doubt raise in my mind images of a human family that are not quite right in the head.. Definitely not to be trusted with your life. Where resident orcas seem more focused on love, family, social order, etc.. Way closer to the best in mammal/human social behaviors...
I was wondering about that. In particular I was wondering how well an air horn would work under water (the hand held ones with an aerosol can of air).
That's a much more humane approach. I'll try that if I ever encounter one, but to be honest I wouldn't hesitate sticking them with a spear either. A few of those and I'm sure they would learn fast. That or a .22 or pelet round.
Sometimes you gotta kill a few to save a lot
They can’t comprehend revenge but they can comprehend fun.
That’s exactly what I was thinking! Glad I’m not the only one that caught that..
I think she's off-base. I think it's territorial animosity at a perceived violent rival predator, like the animosity between lions and hyenas.
Having fun is a fisical experience, instead revenge come out of a concept of thought..
"Fun" (or pleasure) has a hormonal component (the release of dopamine which is pleasureable) whereas "revenge" is a thought process (as someone already noted). Thus, if they are doing it for "fun," the behaviour is driven by the hormonal release rather than some cognitive process.
I have a male orange cat, who definitely understands the concept if 'I will get you back' if I have done something to offend him. He likes sleeping in the bed close to me, but should I disturb him by pushing him, and maybe frightening him. And then he will get up, his ears become erect and he will jump and bite me. So I stop him, and he might go away, but later when I am not expecting it, for no apparent reason, he might jump up and bite my leg from behind or some other part of me. He has done this often enough for me to understand I have upset him, and he is annoyed and definitely tries to get me back. The concept of anthropomorphism is iffy, because despite human beings being the so called higher species of being, animals obviously have means of thinking and behaving in ways that we cannot hear or perceive because of our limitations. It does not mean that they are not able to communicate think reason and feel in ways that we have not been able to grasp yet.
You are such a good teacher. Learning from you does to my brain what having an exquisite 4-course meal does to my tummy: I'm am filled and happy. I was a rambunctious teen, and took all kinds of risks. Now, 53-years old, I hardly take any. I learned what I needed to know, and had lots of fun doing it. Your explanation is just perfect. Thank you, and have a great day.
Thanks for watching!!! I’m glad you found it enjoyable 😁
Thank you for being honest with your viewers about the realities of this situation. As soon as one person perishes from an orca rudder strike, the entire pod will be killed in short order, probably due to some navy's "testing" of explosives (or poisons, etc.) in their vicinity. I wish more people were working to develop other non-lethal deterrents to alter the orcas' behavior (e.g., organic dye clouds, non-toxic irritating chemicals, underwater speakers blasting Celine Dion, etc.).
“Underwater speakers blasting Celine Dion” 😂😂😂😂😂
Just ask them to stop eating the rudder in a calm and polite manner and they will listen.
I always thought that whales are very aware of what is going on in their world. They are enormously intelligent. I would not doubt for a moment that what they are doing is deliberate. It’s their way of saying, “ Quit polluting our home and injuring our families.”
@marykuga4589 A recent workshop conducted by marine biologists concluded that the orcas are very likely just playing. Which is the scientific consensus and one I've obviously long agreed with.
[1] archive.iwc.int/pages/download.php?direct=1&noattach=true&ref=22172&ext=pdf&k
I am starting to think that people WANT it to be revenge rather than actually believing it is revenge. You're rightfully mad that we're polluting the ocean and want the orcas to teach humans a lesson. As Justin Gregg, a researcher for the Dolphin Communication Project, told the CBC, "thinking that orcas are out for vengeance is just an act of projection."
[2] www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/friday-june-30-2023-episode-transcript-1.6894105
@@KPassionate of course that certainly isn’t based on any scientific knowledge on my part but if they aren’t angry they certainly should be. I notice watching Ocean Conservationists Namibia that sometimes fishermen on the docks get a hold of OCN to help an entangled seal, which is s good sign that fishermen are starting to see what can happen to their discarded lines. It’s just a drop in the bucket but OCN started as a drop in a bucket and now they have saved numerous seals. A pebble in the water has made wider and wider circles.
Everybody on UA-cam asks us to hit the like button. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. When you said "Are you not entertained?" that made me smile, and I was happy to hit it.
Hahahaha thanks!
So interesting! But now I can’t help but feel there is a whole new context for the phrase, “hey parents, control your kids!” 😂 seriously though, thank you for the info - very informative!!!
Hahaha that’s hilarious!
Thank you, your explanation makes way more sense than revenge.
Teenagers will be teenagers, nothing you can do but stay away from them.
Thanks for watching!!
The only slight snag in the idea of staying away from these Orcas is that most of these attacks are taking place in and around the Straights of Gibraltar.
The straights of Gibraltar is the only natural sea passage connecting the Med to the rest of the worlds oceans.
It has been a main arterial seaway since long before the time of Cleopatra. It’s not dissimilar to saying that boats should say stay away from the Eastern Seaboard of the US, it’s ridiculously impractical.
we can kill them
Yes. Absolutely stay away from teenagers. They are the worst. Also nature. Stay away from nature or it’ll try and kill you.
That's not true, you can taze them pepper spray them lock them in prison (aka sea world)
A few articles said this may be an orca fad that will stop when it's no longer fun. Another fad mentioned was the Southern Resident pod wearing dead salmon "hats" on their heads for a while in 1987. It started with one orca, caught on quickly with the rest of the pods and ended abt 6 weeks later. Most scientists think these Iberian orcas like the water jetting out from the boat rudder and when it stops, they ram into it in frustration/annoyance.
Hadn’t heard the water jetting hypotheses! Interesting. Time will tell!
Water jetting out from the rudder? I got cheated. My rudder has no jets.
Wish human fads would go away after a few weeks
The salmon fad was hysterical.
@@StLProgressive Right?!? Clearly humans weren't the only ones making questionable fashion choices in the 80s!
I am not so sure that animals can’t exhibit revenge behaviour. I created a floating nest for a family of Coots near my boat where I live. This year as the Coot family was growing large enough to live without the nest, a Crested Grebe pair have been attacking the Coots to drive the family off the nest to take it over. One morning as the Coot family was off feeding around the anchorage the Grebe mother laid an egg in the nest and set about personalizing the nest with some plastic colorful objects. The Grebes had killed one of the coot chicks earlier and pushed several unhatched eggs off the nest. When the mother Coot returned she immediately attacked the egg aggressively puncturing it half a dozen times, then eating the egg completely including every part of the shell. She then tried to eat the plastic adornments (but thankfully couldn’t) she then set about pulling the nest material about violently to reshape it to suit herself. The way she punctured the egg looked very revengeful to me.
The orcas simply want to drive the injury-causing boats out of 'their' territory. Same as a human would do if an orca entered & caused injury in their back yard. The orcas are treating the boats as they would treat any 'natural' predator who could cause them injury.
Called territorial behavior in a non-human animal & revenge in a human animal. In the end it still comes down to human language semantics.
There are lots of examples of one species investing time and energy to make life miserable for a competing species. It's especially common with flocking birds. Some social insects will even sacrifice their own lives just to teach a learning threat like a bear or a human a painful lesson. So it needn't be a conscious behaviour, even though it works best, ironically, on the most intelligent competitors.
Still I don't see how these Gladis orcas are gaining anything for their species (and so, indirectly, their own genes) by this behaviour.
The Robertson family's yacht was sunk in a few minutes by Orca attack in the Pacific. They survived in a dinghy for a month or more. It's one of the great survival stories. Orca attack is worth considering when designing boats.
I’ve quoted this story many times but people think orca sinking is a new thing
NO IT'S NOT NEW. IT'S BECOMING A REAL PROBLEM.
@@susannewatson1219 you are shouting a clarification of what we said???
@@darrenhale6320 What do you mean?? I said it's becoming a big problem!!
@@susannewatson1219 ok I just don’t think you know how the internet and / or conversation works.
Love to listen to people who know what they are talking about...with respect...and thank you!
Yes, I am entertained! Looking forward to binging all your videos. I volunteer at The Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach. It was my desire to help with the plight of the Tokitae and Orcas in the Puget sound that motivated me. So I help locally and follow my northern neighbors stories.
That is awesome!
I was recently in this region and I was informed that local fishermen from a nearby nation attacked the Orca due to the Orca stealing their catch. I also would like to point out here that despite the region being known as the Straits of Gibraltar, the incidents have occurred further out more towards the opening of the straits into the Atlantic between Spain and Morroco.
Thank you for all the info! I saw a pack of wild stupid teens chasing a moma bear who had 3 cubs with her in the Smokey mtns. Everyone was yelling and telling them to stop. Finally the moma and cubs got away in some dense brush. These teens had no idea how bad it could of ended for them. And it infuriated me being a moma of 5 myself. I would have attacked if I thought anyone was chasing my babies! People need to smarten up and remember they are wild animals and should be enjoyed from a distance.
Hearing what those teenagers did to that momma bear makes me angry
The closer I get, the easier it is for me to harvest one tho. How am I supposed to feed my family if I'm only allowed to enjoy wildlife at a distance?
Im sorry but I just cant believe 3 teenagers were chasing a fully grown bear. Having been a rather rambunctious teen boy once, I cant imagine any scenario which I would have thought it amusing to chase a wild animal that can kill me in half a second.
@@90sshuffle Perhaps they were in a car.
The orcas test the vessels for further attacks on vessels. This might look playful, but it is in fact part of a learning process many predators show. They try the parts, how they behave, and then start with small attacks until they develop systematic hunting strategies. Part of these tests is to explore whether or not there will be something eatable from the vessels.
The Houthis may have to retire if the orcas get really good!
I've been following these reported attacks lately and was wondering the recent shift in behavior. Thank you for the in-depth explanation.💗
I can't imagine how terrifying that must've been. Especially at night...
I also can't imagine all the terror that marine animals have to face from human behaviour.
I can.
Just chuck a few grenades and they'll go away.
@@alterego157 😂
@@Skaggy2012 there is truth in what you are saying. We should abandon Florida and leave it to the alligators. Its only fair.
They mess with boats because they are teenage Rudeboys.
It is great to hear the opinion of an expert. Your fear has been mine from the start in that whatever the reason this is bound to end tragically for both humans and the whales. As a layperson, I don't know of any behavioral modification measures that might be taken by humans except perhaps dropping small charges like M-80 firecrackers over the side during these attacks so that it might make this "play" an unpleasant experience without hurting the whales.
I agree that some kind of sound deterrent could work!
Maybe do something to the rudder, maybe a timed shock, Orca can take shallow wounds right? I can image brushing against light barbed wire would put them off in a way that doesn't seem like the boats/humans are attacking them. Certainly want to avoid creating more attacks based on revenge / threat elimination like what causes Wolf attacks.
Simplest thing Is leave them alone. Do not injure them with noise.
@@michaelhoran407 You obviously didn't read my comment "an unpleasant experience WITHOUT harming the whales." This can easily be done with a small charge that boaters can keep on board. It's called aversion therapy in human terms. If these whales in their play sink a vessel and cost a human life then much more harmful things may have to be done including eliminating the perpetrators. Not my choice but governments will be forced to take action to protect humans. It doesn't matter if you or I like it that is the way the human world is.
@@mysticwanderer4787Agreed… set up ways for all boats to have effective detergents that don’t harm the Orca.
By far the smartest and most thorough and reasoned analysis I've heard about the orca attacks. It's just unfortunate that the "play" is likely to continue and the result could be harm to both orcas and humans.
I agree. Play with these guys can be deadly.
@@KPassionateSince the average female orca weighs about 3 tons, what they consider a gentle nudge can do major damage to a boat, and could easily kill a human.
@@KPassionateplaying with humans is even more deadly
It's the Orca youngsters more impulsive reaction to discovering that 'boats' can cause their species members injuries, as opposed to the adults more reserved, wait & see reaction, but I would strongly disagree it has anything to do w/ 'play.'
She forgot to add that animals are playing when they are learning about surroundings, the actual play time is created to learn about food a bit more, to push the boundaries and to find out what can be utilised. Orcas maybe have learned that there is potential food on the board as they probably had opportunities to get food from the ships. Maybe someone get rid of left overs or fed them for fun, then next step they have learned when it is sinking there is actually food on it, they also are trying how dangerous human can be and how much they can push them. Playing is exploring very much the boundary, but only reason for playing in orcas case it is learning about the new food possibilities. Only the reason why they are playing in water parks, they get fed food and if they not very playful they would not get fed… they clever and they know it … food is very much what they are looking. Her explanation is not very good actually as biologists she talked about orcas like about kids … they are not a naughty teenagers .. they are animals who are in the age of learning and exploring and developing knowledge. One day they would learn that human being can be eaten. It maybe already happened, someone came across of a corps … we don’t know how many bodies are dumped in the sea …it takes just one mother to learn and easily target and the pod would be instructed. I think it is just a matter of time when they begin “playing “ with humans. Dolphins also kill by playing, it is well known fact. So lions… so tigers and even elephants.. cows … dogs … they are animals .. they have ability to kill…
That was very insightful, as always. I was curious about these boat strikes. Thanks for taking the time to pull this together. 😃
Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment!
That beginning was wild lol.
So scary!!
Thank you for your insight into these particular Orcas and the ships off the coast of Spain.
So the premise behind that ‘70s movie about the Orca who went on a killing spree after his mate was killed isn’t entirely implausible…
I am very entertained. Thank you ma’am. Fascinating to hear someone knowledgeable talk about this subject.
Hahaha I’m glad you enjoyed it!
@@KPassionateI hope your finger gets better soon!
@@jennifercooper3846 hahaha thank you!
Great analysis of the orca situation. Best one I’ve heard as a matter of fact compared to some of the news outlets. Which makes sense since you’re a biologist directly working with these animals. Excellent job.
Thanks for the feedback!!
Sounds like we need to add some electrical counter measures similar to what electric eels do for protection!
We've been at the area (Gulf of Cadiz) engaged in some naval drills two weeks ago. We met those orcas around eight miles south off Cp. Trafalgar. When we headed to the west, going further into the ocean, we saw them no more.
The area were we found them is known to be the blue fin tuna passage. So, as soon as we left the zone no more orcas were spoted.
Anyway, I agree with the "It's fun" theory. Orcas, as very very smart mammals are known to be able to get bored.
Interesting info! Thanks!
What you said makes a lot of sense. Perhaps, the boats are invading their hunting area.
Orcas are one of my favourite animals
They are beautiful animals 😊
Do you think this is play ( I do not seems silly how has not happened before there is logic behind )
No not intertained sorry
It happens all the time. Not sure what you mean by this hahaha. Play is the most logical conclusion
I hate them, the bully's of the sea
Good to hear about the new rescue effort you're helping come to fruition. Also, noted that it is near enough to dear Joey Sea Otter's birthday that I'll say "Happy 3rd Birthday Joey!" Waiter! More clams please! Cheers!
How about suggesting how to stop the attacks or what people on boats can do to save their boats from being sunk ?
Well avoid being in your boat if at all possible lol. And I’m wondering if some type of sound deterrent can be implemented. But honestly I’m not a boater so I have no idea what kind of technology is available. I just know about whale behavior
get a friggin big harpoon
Fishermen used to have seal bombs to scare seals away from their catch. Basically a waterproof M80 with a weight included.
Teenage orcas are getting high on puffer fish.And then tweeking on the boat rudders and being all "Let's sink some boats!"
i just watched this episode, but had the sound off because my sons were in the room talking... I may not have the full grasp of it, but the attacks are happening as I'm understanding it, because they don't have motorcycles? jk... i did watch sound off though, for the affore mentioned reason and still found myself being informed and entertained. I think that speaks volumes regarding my thoughts about how well this was done. Bravo.
@@AeOdin thank you!
Avoid that area seems quite hard 'cause it's mandatory for entering Straights of Gibraltar that is the only way to enter or exit from mediterran sea.
In fact if we look at those spots where boats have been attacked, some points are basically at the Gibraltar exit, so it's very unlikely that boats can go elsewhere.
That's a big issue, we can't avoid them in total. We may find alternative routes from Portugal but at some point if you need to enter the Mediterranean Sea, you have to pass into the straights.
I've bad feelings about this whole situation. I'm quite sure that people at some point won't accept to sink and will fight back.
I also think isn't a revenge issue, it's more a threat feeling or competition about food since in that area fishermen and orcas are often competing for it.
There were rumors that fishermen could have hurted some Orcas, there were rumors that orcas tried to steal food from fishermen boats... It's mostly rumors so far, nothing clarified from where this change of behaviour comes from.
I'm too against the revenge option. Unless there is something we don't know yet.
I'd personally feel safe in water with them no matter what. I just love them so much. :)
Most of the attacks are on people’s sail boats though and not commercial crafts. So if they were debating taking the boat out for a ride or having a beach picnic I’d pick the latter 😂. It does seem like the situation is escalating and will end badly on both sides. I agree with you
Isn’t there some kinda sonar that you could drop just under the surface which emits a noise which the orcas find unpleasant? Obviously this could backfire and antagonise them more , but beats lethal force which I’m sure will begin to happen when peoples lives are at risk
Some sort of sound deterrent would be my first inclination as well!
“Are you not entertained?! You can’t laugh at me!” 😂🤣
I feel bad for any late middle school/highschool teacher who decides to go on a boat ride then.
That's a very good hypothesis. Orca intelligence should not be underestimated. The original adult might have been responding defensively and/or attempting to keep a measure of control over its environment. Naturally the youngsters would mimick.
I've always thought of myself as a logical thinking person, but your videos made me realize that I'm also impressionable.
Due to the news and the media I have been anthropomorphizing these orcas, attributing revenge as a motivator.
but you're right, animals don't think like us, and orcas have only been aggressive towards humans in captivity, why would they only change now, when we've been fishing in their territories for so long and damaging them with our boats?
The explanation of the game makes a lot of sense for an intelligent, social and curious animal like orcas... besides, if they really wanted to sink ships it would surely be to hunt (as they do when they take seals out of the ice) and if that were the case they would already have there have been victims.
There have been plenty of cases of orca being aggressive to humans in the wild. It has just happened more in captivity simply because they interact more in captivity which makes the chances higher. But in the case of the Iberian orcas I think play is the answer. Even though play can also be deadly!
@@KPassionate I just hope they lose interest soon. The damage to these boats is already making a lot of people angry and scared, the media isn't helping. But I worry that someone will fall overboard during these attacks, or that help will not arrive before the boat capsizes. Not only do I care about people... but it wouldn't be the first time that wild animals that learn bad habits like these end up being hunted.
@@somerandomgirl6093 agreed!
@@KPassionateI’ve always thought that there must’ve been some cases of aggression towards humans in the wild but I’ve never heard of one, do you have any sources?
Yes. I think it’s easiest just to check the Wikipedia article for orca attacks. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orca_attacks
Thanks! This explanation makes a lot of sense. I recently read some improbable and disturbing comments on the subject. This feels really upsetting that so much is at risk to both humans and orcas
It is a big problem regardless of the reason for sure! I am paying close attention to this issue.
F..k the humans I and many others could not careless for them, they have behaved entitled for way too long and destroyed our planet and our oceans, skies, our water, even space with a f...k load of junk flying about humans can bugger off for all I care.
Wow! So interesting. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I have been a whale lover for my entire life, and that’s a very long time. I agree with you that if the animals are changing their behaviour because humans are close by or in their space then we have caused harm to those animals. I live in Alberta 🇨🇦, when we see people stopped on the mountain highways to take pictures of wildlife, that’s one thing but when we see them try to get very close to the animals or even touch them (bears, big horns, mountain goats, moose, bison, elk, etc.) and the people get in trouble….. which means the animals get in trouble. We absolutely need to insist that everyone respect their space.
Thank you for the info. ✊👍
Hello Catherine. Um, ... the presenter offered the view that the orcas were coming up to boats and bumping and biting rudders because it was fun for them. Sailors are doing their best to avoid these orcas but they are choosing to come up to boats. To play. To scratch their heads on the rudder. To bite the rudder to see what it's made of. Teenage hijinks. The solution is for sailors to allow these teenage orcas to learn for themselves that it isn't so much fun after all. Loud and unpleasant noises will work. Sand and chilli in the blowhole will help. Then they'll stay away from boats and not put themselves in harms way. For those who insist it's all because the orcas are hungry, well, if they were hungry they'd be chasing and catching fish, not playing with boats.
Interesting theory and it makes sense.
I’m blown away by people taking selfies with wild animals, especially bear cubs, bison, and moose.
100% agree. I cannot for the life of me understand why people are so comfortable around wild animals.
Glad you addressed this revenge thing as it's just ridiculous. Revenge is an ego reaction. Humans have that, animals not so much, if at all.
While Orca have been stated by everyone to be highly intellectual, some say even more than us. Aside from Hollywood portraying them as revengeful I don’t believe they are being malicious in any way whatsoever. Thank you for your insight as it wasn’t a thought in my mind at all
Thank you for watching!
Much the same with wolves, sure they attack domesticated animals but Iirc all but 1 human fatalities to wolves in the US are attributed to humans hunting them. Both wolves and orca are intelligent pack hunters so there is something to learn from there.
The movie orca in the 1970's.
@@ghostshirt1984 wasn’t sure if anyone would know what I was talking about 🤘🏻💥🔥🙏🏻
Always love your content, K. Especially love your explanation on knowing when your too close to animals!
Thanks for the feedback!
I know this isn't the video for it, and I apologize. With your walruses, they have their tusks cut and capped. does that affect their lives in any significant way?@@KPassionate
@matthewb8329 They aren’t ever cut. They are simply young walruses so their tusks are still growing. The caps help to protect them from cracking or breaking as they grow. Thanks for asking
That’s what I have thought too, such intelligent creatures and it’s “for fun” I didn’t realize they were young teenage types
Just discovered this site. Brilliant stuff
Educational and entertaining as always ❤️🥰😍
Thanks for the shirt!
This was great! Best explanation yet!!
Thanks!!
Nicley done video and great explanation. You seem to be very cool and smart. I am not particularly interested in Marine stuff, but I am interested in learning new things from qualified people. So, I am subscribing to this channel. Keep up the great work.
Thank you for explanation. Keep a good work.
Cheers😃
Thank you for bringing common sense along with your education and experience. I've been watching this happen since there were just a couple boats with the rudders torn off. People try to put human emotion onto animals and it is never good for the animals.
I’m having a really hard time feeling bad for people with yachts
Well these were mostly sail boats but yes 😂
Lol I have a ‘Yacht’. It’s 34 feet & 54 years old (but fully restored!) & it’s all I have. (Except a bicycle & a dinghy). I live on it. & yes; I have it better than anyone stuck living on land. I do feel sorry for landlubbers lol.
Jelous are we, people with yachts don't harm sea life
Jealous much lol
Nothing worse than a successful person enjoying the fruits of his labor......just terrible. 🙄
Still not enough ferrets! But was curious about the White Gladis thing!
Ha! I’ll try to give them a cameo next video
@@KPassionate Oh! I also have a related question! Do the Otters have the distinctive ferret odors?
@@warweasel2330 sea otters have no smell at all actually. River otters are quite stinky though
We are sinking, we are sinking.
German coastguard: "what are you thinking about..?"
I remember a documentary in 1977 called "Orca -The Killer Whale", it said that orcas are the only other animal besides humans that kill for revenge.
In 1977 we still thought all killer whales were the same. Now we know there are at least 10 different types, each with a different preferred prey, hunting style, dialect, familial structure, etc. Many of these ecotypes are likely different species all together. In 1977, commercial whaling was still legal. Our understanding of these animals has come a long way since then.
Another fascinating subject. Thank you.
Thanks mighty algorithm for introducing me to this channel. For some weird reason I can’t stop watching this videos!
That’s such a great compliment! Thank you 😊
I think a good portion of these reported "attacks" are overreactions as well. Right now any orca encounter in the region is thought to be an attack. The recent reported attack in the North Sea is a good example of this. A 72yo man reported multiple "soft shocks" on the aluminum hull of his sailing yacht and as soon as he spotted the lone orca he thought of the Iberian Peninsula attacks and assumed he was under attack as well. It seems to me from the behavior reported by the man the orca was simply behaving like a curious animal as it never damaged anything, circled and returned a few times much like we often see them do with other encounters that are quite peaceful. The bumps it made along the hull were simply it saying hello or maybe rubbing on the hull, and not the "Ramming Attack" characterized in so many of the news reports of incident claiming the behavior has spread to another region.
That make sense, a friend told me that they mainly seem to "attack" sailboats but they seem to loose their interest in it after a while.
There where a guy from Sweden my friend helped with the sailboat recently for a trip down to Greece, but he had to abort the sailing because Orcas did buff on the hull and caused ruptures in the glassfiber outside the southern coast of Spain. I personally don't think they are after humans, but probably a toy to play with and maybe scratching off parasites ´from their skin on the hull, my guess., on very long run sailings a lot of marine creatures tend to grow on the hull, so i wonder if they also in some case want to eat some of those animals, like goosenecks barnacles, crabs, etc or some marine algae plants they need vitamins or nutrients from, i don't know...
@@sheep1ewe Yeah it must also be recognized that this is isolated to this region. If this were happening anywhere else I would more open to attribute it to some behavior like using the boats to scratch themselves on or the rudders as a toy because the uniques shape is interesting to them and has some natural attraction. But sailboats and their unique rudders have been around too long for this to just suddenly be happening if that were the cause. Even the naughty teenager argument doesn't hold up to that scrutiny because this behavior is relatively fresh and isolated and orca and sailboats (of this style) have shared the water for a century and a half all over the world.
The big issue is how can it be stopped? How do you discourage an orca from doing this? I have saw a video of racers banging on the hull and it seemed to discourage them. But that was a lot of people banging away. They are not afraid of too many things. Is there a repellent of any kind that could be dispersed? (Other than dumping your black-water tanks) Something they don't like, an orca spray. I have the name for it already - "Whale Away"!
@@socket_error1000 I don't know, but sharks fear streams of compressed air, but i am not sure Orcas does actualy care about that since their breathing organs are not affected by that as for the sharks. I wonder if they are sensitive to chemical substances like capsaicin or extreme bitter taste? I know some, but not all mammals are. Rats are to some extent, but they hawe an extreme tolerance for those, but foxes seem to be pretty much as out own level, so i don' know...
@@sheep1ewe Yeah it is hard to know. I don't think this is anything anyone has ever even considered because orca have never been a nuisance or threat animal in any way before this. The big problem with capsaicin is normally it is inhaled and used to effect the eyes and sinuses. If it could be delivered to a orca in the water it might be very dangerous for the animal.
The best potential would be some sort of acoustic deterrent that could be broadcast using an underwater speaker; if there is any sound level and pattern they might be more sensitive to. I just don't know if they have any sensitivity that might be capable of making them leave an area. Hopefully someone does some work on this and helps develops some solution before it becomes crazy people using gaffs and rifles on any orca that comes near their yacht.
@@socket_error1000 Yes, and i strongly suspect that the tourism and probably people feeding them from boats in order to bring them to the tourist "whale safari" boats has changed parts of their behavior, although being being closely related, Orcas are not dolphins, but i guess it sound more cute or something to claim that they are, people nowadays seem to call about anything that even remotely remains of a dolphine for dolphins, even Thumbler whales (Phocoena phocoena in latin, what is their name in English?) which are no dolphins at all and newer has been dolphins, but perhaps vagely looks like one and has about the same size of the more popular dolphin specimens one can see on zoo, but still people call them dolphins for some weird reason. so i would not be supprised if that is the case people actualy do feed wild orcas in order to make good posers for the tourists... dolplhines, dolplhines,
Or it could be that orcas are far more intelligent than we give them credit for, and are still simply protecting their habitat, being now critically endangered
I couldn’t agree more
Animals are a lot smarter than what mainstream science gives them credit for.
It makes no sense that Orcas harmed by fishing boats would be attacking sailing boats not fishing boats, those look quite different underwater as well as above. Plus a sail boat underwater has a shape similar to marine mammals. So there is something else going on here
I think the solution is to equip all boats in the area with a way to "sour" the fun that doesn't hurt them but that removes the fun element by making it uncomfortable. For instance, a sound burst just as they are attacking in a frequency that they don't like. Or a chemical in the water that's mildly irritable. Any slight input that changes their perception of this being fun short of giving them electric shocks!
I agree fully… make it unpleasant enough to stop doing it!
Even my cat seeks revenge on me. I feel like it’s naive to assume such an intelligent animal isn’t capable of typical human behaviour such as pettiness and holding a grudge etc. Even less advanced animals so often seem to have their behaviour explained away from the obvious. It always feels based in this idea of what the animal supposedly doesn’t understand or isn’t capable of processing. Whereas if we just accepted the possibility that animals DO understand and are capable of blatant and obvious behaviour, their behaviour makes a lot more sense.
I agree wholeheartedly. Behaviorists routinely seem to dismiss cognitive abilities, and so, motives of animals. I am a veterinarian with nearly 40 years in.
I never bought into the "revenge" argument. Too much anthropomorphism gets in the way of clear-eyed thinking.
My first theory was that the older ones are teaching the youger ones how to attack the fins of whales - which they do. Most modern sailboats have a fin type keel and a seperate hung rudder, which can look very whale-like. But, if the preffered food of the Iberian orca is tuna, that theory seems less likely. SO now I wonder about the type of boats being attacked. Are they all similar sailboats? Or, are there commercial or private powerboats in th emix - and to what ratio. With 250 attacks reported, there must be some data as to vessel description and a damage report. If all types of boats are being attacked, and in the proportion to their numbers in the area, then my second theory is in agreement with this video:
They are playing. Orca play with their prey often. They do it with penguins, sharks, seals, and...whales.
That is the only 👍 I have ever been charmed into giving. Normally asking for 'likes' puts me off, and I have been known to unsubscribe. Preceeding some quality, informative content certainly helped! Other UA-camrs ask for 'likes' before they have provided anything to 'like'.
Yes, I was definitely entertained by your verbal and visual information, as well as your presentation. How could I not give you a 👍 ? Thank you for all your effort to educate in an engaging way. (OCN's algorithm led me to your channel. 😊)
Thumbs up to this comment as well! Thanks for watching!
@@KPassionate Thank you, K.P.! 😊 I didn't put in nearly the same amount of effort as you, to warrant a 👍, but I will accept your 👍 with appreciation, and count myself lucky that I have your seal of approval. ✨️ 🦭 ✨️
This was a very interesting video. I guess no people have been attacked even though some of the vessels were sunk. At least that is good.
Yeah, I kind of felt the "revenge" plot line perpetuated by the media was pretty thin. Too much anthropomorphism. Having said that, orca do target and feed upon whales. Why do I mention whales? Because modern sailboats typically have an almost flat, very mildly rounded hull, with a rudder that looks very much like a fin. In fact, they've been specifically designed that way, as they're more efficient underwater. The downside of this rudder design is that it has a single attachment point to the boat, unlike boats with full keels or skegs with large, plank-like rudders attached at multiple points, which look nothing like fins.
The point being, from under water, the sailboat will look remarkably whale-like, relatively slow moving, with a broad belly and what looks like pectoral fins. In addition to ramming tactics during their attacks on whales, orca will also typically go after the pectoral fins in an effort to disable the whale. Now, orca are definitely smart enough to differentiate actual whales from sailboats, but it makes me wonder if the sailboats aren't a really good teaching tool for educating young orca on how to hunt and disable whales. With unfortunate consequences for the boaters, of course.
And during the course of their attack on a sailboat with one of these fin rudders, when enough pressure is applied to that single attachment post, it will snap and/or shatter the fiberglass around it, leading to a massive, irreparable hole in a compartment that is rarely water-tight, and the vessel will inevitably sink.
I also agree with your "juvenile behavior" assessment, as I'm sure it's fun for the orca. With Gladis Blanca teaching them, though, one has to ask, "What is she teaching? And why?" The above makes the most sense to me, but who knows? Given the number of sailboats that routinely pass through that area, though, we should be working on a solution. Perhaps an underwater acoustic device that generates a sound the orca don't particularly like or tolerate? No harm done to the orca, and no nibbling on rudders.
Just a thought. Thanks so much for sharing yours.
Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it! Even if a boat looks whale-like, an orca would be able to tell the difference. Their echolocation is essentially an ultrasound that allows them to "see" muscle, fat, bones, organs, etc. It's so powerful that they can even tell when an animal is pregnant. It is how they are able to surgically target a shark's liver. Echolocating on a boat would tell the orca that it is a hard object that can't be consumed.
Watch out Ahab! It be your white whale!!!! Seriously, I agree we get to close to the animals. Do we forget that those areas on the planet are more theirs than ours? Who knew all teenagers have somthing in common!!!😂
It is their home for sure!
My brother used to park his truck behind my parent’s store because he didn’t want it getting door dings in the regular parking lot. Made deliveries a lot harder to unload and me and delivery drivers would grumble about the truck. I think the squirrels took note because we started hearing my brother’s car alarm go off randomly. Every time my brother went racing out screaming about calling the cops to no one other than some chattering squirrels. My parents put up some extra cameras and we finally caught some squirrels throwing acorns at his truck and then just sitting and watching as the car alarm went off. All that chattering was the squirrels laughing at him 😂
Thanks for the message! All too many ignore 'personal space' for wildlife.
Absolutely!
I was entertained! Very good video. This is the first I've seen of yours.
@@maryford650 thanks for watching! I’m glad you enjoyed it
I always figured it's the rudder looking like the fin of another animal.
One is entertained, informed and subscribed...Cheers!
Hahaha thank you!
The juveniles have not yet learnt that rudders are not giant tortilla chips.
Speaking as someone that has made 3 passages across the Atlantic---MAKE NOISE! Run the engine to protect your rudder, pull your windvane (autopilot) out of the water, then MAKE NOISE. Put a grappling pole in the water and bang on it with a winch handle. Orcas and whales do not like sharp loud noises. These animals need to learn that pushing around a sailboat is not so much fun.
I've always loved orcas and been fascinated by their intelligence. I wish mankind took more of a "love and observe from afar" stance with animals and marine life. I hope we can figure out a solution to keep the orcas safe before any human lives are lost.
Another possibility for Orca's behavvior with boats: the annoyance of boats' propeller noises.
The thing is, they're not targeting boats with propellers. They're almost specifically targeting monohulled sailing vessels, yachts, catamarans, and other vessels with spade rudders.
Interesting stuff . I have been following this story. Apparently they are targeting the rudder of the boats involved. so glad I found your site Keep us posted.
Thanks for watching!
Back in 2003, I was in the Spanish Navy, escorting US merchant ships crossing the Strait of Gibraltar to go to Irak. And I saw a pod of orcas. Adults with calves. It was unreal. I still remember it as the greatest animal encounter I ever had (with my 2 dogs permission😁). It is quite possible that those orcas were from the same pod who have been breaking ships in the last 4 years. Back then, they kept a great distance with our ship (it was a big war ship) and there wasn't any trouble at all. Just beauty. But when the "attacks" on boats began, I remember I thought that something like that had to happen at one point. And that's because I saw from first hand how many ships crossed that strait every day. It's literally full of ships everywhere. Big ones, small ones, huge ones, cruisers, fast huge ferries that cross from Europe to Africa, that left a huge wake behind due to the enormous power of their engines... And I thought if all that 24/7 amount of noise, ➕ The tremendous wounds that the propellers of the ships cause in the poor whales could be the reason for the attacks. But I'm not a marine biologist, and what I know about killer whales, is what I've seen in documentaries, so this theory of teenage punk orcas makes sense too, because it is true that there are other straits in other oceans with a lot of maritime traffic, and killer whales do not do that. I do not know... But I really liked the video.
That’s a cool story! Thanks for sharing. It’s absolutely true that the more we interact with wildlife the more chances there will be for things like the Gibraltar attacks to happen.
@@KPassionateMuchas gracias ☺️My pleasure. I have a very good memory of that day.
Great perspective and insight - thank - will you update us when they come back with info on the necropsies?
3:35 elephants are capable of revenge type behaviour right? Orcas are on of if not the smartest marine mammals out there so it wouldn’t surprise me at all!
Many of the stories about elephants getting revenge are anecdotal or even fictionalized to some extent. Like the story about the elephant who trampled a woman and then returned to trample her funeral? Those were two different elephants AND two different women. Additionally, several news sources were unable to confirm the details of these to events and many of the reports are conflicting. Still, as I said in the video, animals absolutely engage in reciprocity or retaliation. Biologist don't like to use anthropomorphic terms like revenge, which in this case implies a level of moral justification, because it often leads to the misattribution of animal behavior. Which is what is happening with these whales. Many people seem to WANT it to be revenge when it is the consensus among marine biologists that these animals are simply playing.
What a great channel! Love this.
As a tall person that often hits my head, I totally relate to them seeking revenge for those hooks that must have gotten them damn mad..
Maybe an electronic device that emits underwater sounds that Orcas don’t like would be a good defense.
Fear would make them stay away or swim away when hearing a boat, we can definitively call revenge because is a behaviour against something that happened in the past
Orcas taking out yachts is the best news we've had in years
I was entertained! I liked. Enjoyed it!!
Awesome! Thank you!
GREAT VIDEO! Thank you so much for your hard work!
I was entertained, and enlightened. Thank you.
Revenge is Premeditated and I don't think the Orcas are like "Ok the Humans will be here on Wednesday..."