Killer whales sink $128K yacht in ‘terrifying’ 2-hour Mediterranean Sea attack: ‘Like watching wolves hunt’

New York Post ^ | July 26, 2024 | Katherine Donlevy

[Ge0ffrey]

Whales dolphins and porpoises are from the same order (Cetartiodactyla) but not the same family.

[Paal Gulli]

"Orcas are dolphins, but they have been nicknamed "killer whales" for a very long time, most likely since before it was determined that they were, in fact, in the dolphin family. "

The name "killer whales" has nothing to do with a failure to recognize they're actually dolphins, it has to do with the fact that THEY KILL WHALES. They gang up on card-carrying whales and work in teams biting them by the pectoral fins and holding them underwater until they drown.

[blueplum]

A clip of an orca approaching a rudder can be seen here. A theory is voiced that the area is blue fin tuna hunting grounds for the orcas. So...maybe if the boat owners painted their rudders neon pink or some other non-fish color, or install a sleeve of bird spikes they could break the behavior??

[Organic Panic]

“https://www.britannica.com/topic/Essex-whaling-ship“

Good book about a sprem whale that attacks a whaling ship. The inspiration for Moby Dick.

[jmacusa]

A ‘’bang stick’’, a long metal pole fixed with a shotgun shell and a primer pin loaded with double O buck or slugs would fix the problem.

[jmacusa]

“I looked and behold, a pale horse and the name that sat on Him was Death and Hell followed with him....

[MeanWestTexan]

I don’t know. Not a whaleologist.

I know how they’d react to being sprayed with 7.62x51mm though.

[RoosterRedux]

And it's also exercise.

Orcas are like goats in that they enjoy headbutting for a variety of reasons. And they like and need lots of practice (look it up).

When orcas do engage in headbutting, it typically serves specific purposes such as hunting, social interaction, or establishing dominance. Young orcas practice headbutting to prepare them for adult life (just like baby goats).

Fiberglass sailboats make perfect targets for headbutting practice. And if those nice, not-too-hard, not-too-soft sailboats try to sail away, the orcas simply destroy the rudders.

And like most sea mammals, orcas love to chat with their friends about their new hobbies.

[caww]

In a “terrifying” two-hour attack five orcas circled the 39-foot sailing boat and took turns smashing it to bits.........“To me, they were not playing at all, they knew exactly what they were doing. They knew the weak points of the boat, and they knew how to sink it,”