Why killer whales attack yachts?

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The year 2023 has not yet begun, but there is already at least one boat damaged by killer whales. The incident happened off the coast of Portugal. Read more about the incident in our Telegram channel.

Orcas themselves are quite interesting animals. They can live up to 80 years, reach a length of almost 10 meters and weigh up to 6 tons, they have developed social interaction. To see such an inhabitant of the depths in its natural habitat is a breathtaking sight. Alas, such meetings do not always end well.

Despite the fact that no attacks on humans have been officially recorded in nature, killer whales still breathe unevenly towards boats and yachts. Attacks have increased in the last couple of years. Pushing the boat, chewing on the rudder or keel are the most common “pranks” of marine mammals. In the best case, you will have to urgently return to the marina; in the worst case, you will have to turn to the Coast Guard for help.

And if at the beginning of June 2020 killer whales paid attention mainly to small single-hull sailboats, now they do not disdain 15-18 meter catamarans. At the moment, it was not possible to trace the dependence of their attacks on the time of day, the presence or absence of a motor, and the color of the hull.

The problem is getting worse

Despite a number of fairly plausible theories, scientists are not yet ready to give an exact answer. Several main hypotheses are being developed. Dr. Ruth Esteban of the Madeira Whale Museum says: “No one knows the exact reason. We are trying to understand and collect information, but full-fledged studies have not yet been conducted. We still need more data.”

For 2023, at least one study has already been funded, as the problem has begun to take on significant proportions. Since 2020, more than 300 yachts have been affected by the "play" of this killer whale subpopulation. The main region of attacks of cetaceans is the Iberian Peninsula.

More than 70% boats were damaged after encountering killer whales. Interestingly, animals aim at the steering wheel or ram the body. In 2022, nearly 70% reported collisions resulted in damage and 24% resulted in loss of ship control and the need to be towed to port by emergency services.

Theories for the emergence of such behavior

Another scientist, Alfredo Lopez, stated in 2022 that the main theory at the moment is that killer whales that attack ships are “adolescents”. Due to the peculiarities of “teenage” behavior by the standards of killer whales, individuals simply “play” with the boats they like. This behavior should pass after the animals cross the threshold of maturity.

A number of yachtsmen who have witnessed killer whales interacting with boats confirm Lopez's words. Killer whales often swim up to the boats slowly, and next to the boats they turn over on their backs, exposing their stomachs. 

Such behavior can hardly be called aggressive. Even if the animals eventually start to rock the boat or gnaw (!) on its keel, yachtsmen note that this does not look like direct aggression towards the boat. However, what is a game for a 4- or 5-ton representative of the marine fauna, then for the skipper, the probable cause of gray hair. 

Another group of yachtsmen interviewed believe that killer whales do not play. In their opinion, aggression is quite real and killer whales “do not joke with boats, but try to leave as much damage as possible.” Just as there is no single theory describing the reasons for such behavior, there is no consensus among yachtsmen.

Another theory is that killer whales use these “fun” with yachts as a way to hone their hunting skills. The theory has not received sufficient evidence. The only argument that supporters of this theory have is that the yacht usually moves at a speed that is almost equal to the speed of the tuna. Tuna, by the way, is one of the main dishes on the killer whale menu.

Another theory describes this behavior in cetaceans as a response to stress. Killer whales constantly hear the noise of engines from small yachts and giant merchant ships, which increases their stress levels. Killer whales, like other cetaceans, use echolocation for hunting and communication. Background noise can prevent them from hearing not only prey, but also their relatives.

The view of scientists on the situation

Since it is forbidden in almost all countries to cause any harm to a killer whale at a meeting, local authorities advise to stop the boat, turn off the engine and wait until the killer whale becomes bored. On average, it takes 30 to 60 minutes for the animals to lose interest in the yacht. However, even in half an hour you can be left without a rudder or with a broken keel.

One option that several Spanish yachtsmen have experienced is to reverse. This creates a large amount of foam, which can drive killer whales away from the rudders. 

Scientists, however, treat this method with caution. According to them, such actions can lead to injury in animals. Cetaceans are quite smart, and if turning on the reverse gear two or three times helps, then killer whales can understand the trick in the future. There have already been cases when killer whales swam away from the rudders and waited for the engine to turn off at the bow of the boat.

Problem Solutions

As mentioned above, Spanish yachtsmen try to reverse when killer whales approach, but there are other ways. So, some skippers decided to pass dangerous places in groups of several boats. The method also has a drawback - killer whales can still appear at some point and cause damage to the boats. A string of 2-5 boats does not deter cetaceans.

The Spanish Ministry of Transport also tried to help the sailors. A special itinerary was drawn up for yachts less than 15 meters in length. It passes through shallow water off the coast of Spain and Portugal. Even so, killer whales sometimes swim in relatively safe areas.

The main dilemma is that it is impossible to fully ensure the safety of both yachts and cetaceans. From the point of view of EU legislation, it is impossible to harm (try to somehow drive away, hit or kill) a killer whale. At the same time, there is a high risk of serious damage to the yacht, which entails a danger to the lives of sailors.

How to protect yourself and the yacht?

Travel in a convoy: the method described above - several yachts are combined into a convoy and pass the route together. This option is actually quite safe, but it is not capable of completely reducing the risk of killer whale attacks.

Use repellers: Acoustic repellers are popular with anglers. With their help, they can scare dolphins, porpoises (not to be confused with guinea pigs) and other inhabitants of the deep from the nets. However, this device will only work if the animal has learned to associate sound with danger. The method has not been tested.

Shallow water travel: the statistics do not lie, and there are indeed fewer attacks on yachts in shallow water. It makes sense to go at shallow depths if you enter an area where killer whales have been sighted, but you should still stay alert.

Regular Big Paddle: there is a claim that if you hit the flat on the water with a large oar, then this will be a stop signal for killer whales. Such a movement of the tail in cetaceans means irritation and serves as an indicator that the owner of the tail should stop being nervous. This method has not been mass-tested, so you can use it only at your own peril and risk. Be careful not to fall overboard or hit the animal.

Fight off an attack: somehow it is impossible to harm killer whales, but if there is a direct threat to the life of the crew, then such actions can be justified.

Have spare parts and tools with you: you need to have with you all the necessary tools for emergency operation of the yacht.

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04.03.2023