Posted on 09/19/2020 6:28:19 AM PDT by Rebelbase
SCIENTISTS have been left confused by a series of incidents in which killer whales have hit sailing boats along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts.
In some cases, boats have been damaged and at least one crew member suffered bruising from the impact of the ramming.
Two boats also lost parts of their rudders due to the impact of the attacks, according to reports.
Incidents have been reported in several locations, including one just off A Coruña, on the northern coast of Spain, on Friday afternoon.
Pete Green, managing director of Halcyon Yachts, told The Guardian a boat was being taken to the UK when an orca rammed its stern at least 15 times.
As a consequence of the impact, the vessel lost steering and was towed into port to assess damage.
A similar incident happened near Vigo, northwest Spain, at the end of August, when sailors alerted the coastguard to say their boat was “under attack” from killer whales.
On the same day, a Spanish naval yacht, Mirfak, lost part of its rudder after an encounter with orcas under the stern.
On July 29, a boat was surrounded by nine orcas off Cape Trafalgar, in the south-west of Spain.
The killer whales rammed the hull for over one hour, spinning the boat 180 degrees, disabling the engine and breaking the rudder, as they communicated with loud whistling, The Guardian reports.
I remember reading that book. I think they saw one of the killer whales with a divot out of its head where it had rammed the keel in the attack. Them fish meant business.
‘Scientists’ are trying to figure this out.
Meanwhile, ‘The working assumption among ocean sailors is that sailing yachts, moving in silence on the ocean, sometimes strike and injure “half sleeping” whales.’
How soon till a mandatory noise maker on sailboats? For the Whales, you know.
“Orc Lives Matter?”
D*mn Troll. This problem Drawfs the Orcs!
Sharknado..everyone knows that.
The sea was angry that day, my friend.
Sounds to me like it’s time to thin the herd. BTW, whale meat is delicious.
Trump’s fault.
Sailboats need deer whistles?
Lol
A Hedgehog! Always wanted one.
Ocean sailors have known this forever. It’s even in Moby Dick, toothed predator (sperm) whales ramming and sinking wooden ships.
I thought about your steel hulled boat when I read this article a couple days ago here on FR. I should have pinged you.
“and no one knows why” I do. They hit an Orca when it was sleeping and they all got really pissed.
I see what you did there.
You really wonder how whales interact with modern submarines with their low-cavitation propellers and anechoic tiles on the surface of the submarine. A pod of Orcas may have very little warning when a modern submarine like the Virginia-class submarine goes by.
I certainly enjoyed it.
“My boat is 3/16” steel, and they will just get a headache.”
A disproportionate response. Unfair to the whales.
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