For the past few years, sailors in European waters have been reporting unnerving encounters with orcas that ram or disable their boats. The incidents, most often in the Strait of Gibraltar and off the Iberian coast, have led to speculation that the whales are retaliating against humans. But experts stress the truth is less sinister.
Most of the encounters involve orcas going straight for a boat’s rudder. Crews describe the whales pushing or twisting the steering fins until they snap, sometimes leaving vessels without control. In extreme cases, yachts have sunk after repeated strikes, though passengers have been safely evacuated, as reported by Reuters.
Marine biologists say the behavior looks like play or experimentation. Orcas are famously intelligent and social, capable of passing new behaviors across pods. That means what begins as curiosity among a few individuals can quickly spread, much like a fad. A researcher told Live Science that young whales may find the pressure and vibration from rudders stimulating, almost like a game.
This wouldn’t be the first time orcas adopted unusual habits. Pods in the Pacific Northwest were once observed wearing dead salmon like hats for no obvious reason beyond social bonding. In another case, groups developed temporary fascinations with interacting with fishing boats. Scientists think the rudder attacks will likely fade in the same way when the novelty passes.
Importantly, there’s no evidence the orcas intend to harm humans. The whales focus almost exclusively on the boats themselves, and there are no verified reports of direct aggression toward people. Conservationists emphasize this distinction, warning that framing the animals as vengeful could inflame public fear and threaten protection efforts. The Guardian notes that over 30 marine scientists signed an open letter urging media to stop sensationalizing the encounters.
For sailors, the best advice is to slow down, avoid sudden maneuvers, and wait for the pod to lose interest. While losing a rudder is costly, researchers say the phenomenon highlights the remarkable intelligence and cultural complexity of orca societies, reminding us that even apex predators play.