UNDERSTANDING ALLEGED ORC ATTACKS ON SAILBOATS

Killer whales presented as dangers of the ocean

Would a family of orcas carry out a "vendetta" on the high seas ?

This is the story told on July 27 by Le Monde. For nearly three years, a family of these cetaceans has been roughing up the boats in the Strait of Gibraltar. The Anglo-Saxon name for these marine mammals, "killer whale", adds to their mystery and presumed danger.

Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain the presumed sudden "aggressiveness" of marine animals towards humans. The latest, exposed in the journal Marine Mammal Science, indicates that these attacks would involve nine killer whales divided into two groups: three or even four juvenile individuals; and a mixed-age group led by an adult female, named White Gladis.

It is she – the only adult female involved in the attacks – who would hold the key to the mystery. According to the authors of the article, White Gladis would seek revenge after a collision with a ship. She would have developed a technique to sink the boats, which she would then have taught to the youngest. But among the 39 orcas identified in the strait, only about fifteen, "the Gladis", attack the rudders.

This idea, although reminiscent of the famous Michael Anderson film, "Orca", released in 1977, raises an existential question: "are we living the last moments of their incredible indulgence ? ", as Camille Brunel writes in his book "Praise of the whale": Because as humans, aware of the fate that we voluntarily inflict on Nature, we would like so much that the animals revolt, show their anger, want us.

It is undeniable that cetaceans would have reason to be unhappy, because the list of human activities that impact their environment is long: fisheries, plastic pollution, global warming, maritime traffic, oil exploration, explosions, military sonar, and even offshore wind turbines. However, it is essential not to blindly oppose our maritime activities, but rather to scientifically assess their negative impact, ranging from simple disturbances to strandings.

But why propagate such alarmist discourse, why encourage us to perceive killer whales in this way ?

These killer whales are known to come from several families. They can sometimes stay for more than 40 minutes around the boats, always with the same scenario: rapid and intentional approach, beginning of pressure and shocks on the hull, with, it seems, a very particular attraction to bite and tear the rudder (part of a ship's rudder).

A "just game" ?

According to Renaud de Stephanis, doctor in environmental sciences established in the region, it would rather be "a game". From his analysis, this species, known for its intelligence, is not going to put itself in dangerous situations.

During the attack by the French skipper Sébastien Destremau, near the strait, the oceanographer François Sarano had also supported the thesis of a game:

"For an orca who is eight meters and five tons, playing with a boat is like playing with a cat for us. For humans, it seems like aggression, but for orcas, it's just a game" , he said in May.

One thing is certain, these "incidents" are, to say the least, "rare and strange", as biologist Alfredo López points out.

Amazingly intelligent animals

These orcs, sentient beings capable of empathy, feeling emotions and pain, possess an astonishing intelligence. They are able to make decisions and innovate, developing adaptive skills in various situations.

Their culture manifests itself in particular through sound signatures specific to their clan and through a multitude of incredible hunting strategies to capture their prey, such as, for example, voluntarily stranding themselves on the beach to catch sea lions or coordinating to create a sufficient wave to destabilize the seal taking refuge on a piece of pack ice. This culture is transmitted from adults to juveniles; we speak of vertical cultural transmission.

Interactions between humans and cetaceans date back to the dawn of time, forging close links between the two worlds, as evidenced by legends and ancestral stories. Although most of the 90 species of cetaceans keep a low profile or avoid human activities, some approach voluntarily, such as bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales, gray whales or humpback whales.

These opportunistic situations are not guided to satisfy a vital function (such as obtaining food) but rather in a desire to observe us. And why not, maybe even to want to get in touch with us...as scientists suggest.