Since 2020, orcas have been causing problems for sailors in Portugal and Spain. The cetaceans have rammed hundreds of boats, and nine of them ended up sinking. Almost always, the orcas displayed the remains of the vessels to terrified crew members as if they were trophies.
Initially, it was speculated that the attacks could be revenge for collisions with yachts or for accidental entanglement in fishing nets. However, a new study published in the scientific journal Marine Mammal Science proposes a different explanation: it's all just play, a new and dangerous form that the orcas have found to have fun.
The research was conducted by Joana Castro and her colleagues, who spent eight years following the orcas off the Iberian coast. The scientists were already studying the animals when the first cases of attacks on boats began to occur.
The study included underwater footage and direct observations to reach the conclusion that the orcas' behavior is not aggressive, but rather playful.
