Killer whales are a threat to seafarers around the worldwith Orca attacks on boats and yachts The number of seafarers increases every year and makes them fear for their lives. when the attacks start again Off the coast of Spain, new research suggests that the animals may simply be using our boats as “target practice.”
Orcas off the coast of Spain rammed another boat this week as it was sailing in the Atlantic. Reports Futurism. As has become tradition, Whales hit the rudder of the boatleaving the ship immobilized and awaiting rescue efforts. However, these were delayed by bad weather, leaving the Amidala and its two-man crew drifting aimlessly in the water for hours.
The recent attack on a sailing boat raises further questions about why the animals are fighting back. Is it because they mistake ships for food? Are they out for revenge after that Kiwi tried to bodyslam one of their own or are they simply using us as a target, as new research suggests?
This is the latest theory to appear on the Internet, it seems Orca could use the oars passing ships to teach their young to hunt, according to Futurism. As the website explains:
The article, which will soon be published in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management, points out that while the orcas that pursue sailboats are generally younger, adult members of the pod are sometimes seen in these ramming incidents.
This suggests, according to the Spanish researchers' argument, that the older orcas are teaching their young something – and since most of them immediately head for the oars, what they have learned seems to be taking hold.
“It's like a training toy,” Bruno Díaz López, the institute's chief biologist, told the NYT. “It's a shame that we humans are in the middle of this game, but they are learning.”
The research, conducted by Spain's Research Institute for Bottlenose Dolphinssuggests that the attacks could be an attempt to teach younger animals how to hunt bluefin tuna while swimming in the sea. These animals can grow up to 3 meters long and move through the water at quite high speeds, similar to the species of smaller sailing boats the Orca have increasingly attacked.
It may sound far-fetched, but there is growing evidence that orcas and large marine mammals such as whales teach their offspring new skills. Orcas have already been observed teaching each other new skills. how to hunt great white sharks and one believes Humpback whales teach each other their favorite songs.
As cute as this may sound, it helps people who are victims of Killer whale attacks in recent years. Actually, Estimates suggest a herd of more than 20 orcas have About 700 boats were hit in this way.
