A terrible phenomenon has been recorded near the Strait of Gibraltar in southern Spain. An orca named Gladis has led a “gang” of this species that has been shown to be responsible for several attacks on boats operating in the area.
According to studies, the animal is said to have had a traumatic experience with boats and encouraged attacks Photo: The Telegraph/R7/Reproduction/ND
The story of Gladis and his gang is not new: such attacks have been recorded in the region since May 2020.
Reports of swarms of orcas destroying rudders and parts of ships’ hulls with coordinated and precise attacks are so fantastic that many biologists remained skeptical for several months.
In June and November 2022, two attacks resulted in the sinking of two ships in the area. In early May, a brutal attack sank another boat there.
Everyone needs to stop and pay attention to the story #orcas (killer whales) intentionally sinking yachts off the coast of southern Spain.
Apparently, a female orca (gladis) suffered a “traumatic encounter” with a boat and is now teaching other orcas to sink her! đ
Sibin âsibinâ on mastodon.social (@sibinmohan) May 30, 2023
On social media, Gladis has become the subject of memes (like the one above, which references the Twilight movie) claiming that an orca revolution has begun.
With the growing body of records, the consensus is that something extraordinary is happening to the killer whales in southern Spain.
An article published in June last year in the journal Marine Mammal Science entitled “Strait of Gibraltar killer whales, an endangered subpopulation exhibiting disturbing behaviour” showed that attacks of this species are becoming more common.
In addition, he revealed that the group uses a special technique: surround the boat, destroy the rudder and generally disappear as soon as the vehicle stops. Unless the rudder is permanently damaged, the whales will attack until the craft sinks.
The main suspicion is that a traumatic event, likely an orca injured by a boat passage or by a trap, triggered the violence of the interactions. Over time, a group of whales learned to damage or even destroy boats, and this behavior was learned by more and more individuals.
âThe orcas do it on purpose. We don’t know the origin or the motivation, but defensive behavior based on trauma as the origin of it all is becoming stronger for us every day,” said Alfredo LĂłpez Fernandez, a biologist at the University of Aveiro in Portugal. and coauthor of the study. , in an interview with LiveScience.
Orca Gladis would have gone through a “traumatic” event
The strong suspicion is that the female, specifically White Gladis, suffered a traumatic event (poetically described in the study as a “critical moment of agony”) and has since begun teaching other members of her group to attack the enemy in Basic motorized boats.
Even hatchlings are involved in the raids, suggesting that Gladis’ reign of terror will be longlasting. Despite the number of attacks, the study shows that around 39 people were involved, a relatively small number.
It’s also possible that lunges are just a “passing fad”: Just like humans, killer whales exhibit complex social behavior and like to have fun.
“I think it’s just as reasonable to say that they do it because they can, because it’s fun,” Norwegian researcher Hanne Strager said in an interview with National Geographic.
Since it is not possible to perform MRI scans on such giant sea creatures that would suggest some degree of intent in their actions, only more permanent observation can provide answers to this puzzle.
Currently, scientists consider the issue as further evidence of the extreme complexity and evolution of whale behavior.