Killer Whales Use Yachts For ‘Target Practice’ As Attacks Resume

Killer whales have become something of a menace to seafarers around the world, with orca attacks on boats and yachts increasing every year leaving some sailors fearing for their lives. Now, as attacks begin once again off the coast of Spain, new research suggests that the animals may simply be using our boats for “target practice.”

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Orcas off the coast of Spain this week struck another boat while it was sailing on the Atlantic Ocean, reports Futurism. As is now tradition, the whales struck the rudder of the boat, leaving it immobile and waiting for rescue efforts, which were delayed by bad weather leaving the Amidala and its two-person crew floating aimlessly for hours.

The latest attack on a sailing boat has once again raised questions about why the animals are fighting back. Is it because they’re mistaking ships for food? Are they out for vengeance after that Kiwi tried to bodyslam one of their own or, as a new research paper suggests, are they merely using us for target practice?

That’s the latest theory to hit the internet, as it appears orca could be using the rudders of passing ships to train their young how to hunt, according to Futurism. As the site explains:

Soon to be published in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management, the paper points out that although the sailboat-pursuing orcas are generally younger, adult pod members are sometimes seen during these ramming incidents.

This suggests, per the Spanish researchers’ line of reasoning, that the older orcas are teaching their young — and with most going straight for the rudders, it seems their lessons are taking hold.

“This is like a training toy,” Bruno Díaz López, the institute’s chief biologist, explained to the NYT. “It’s a shame that we humans are in the middle of this game, but they are learning.”

The research, carried out by Spain’s Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute, suggests the attacks could be an effort too train younger animals how to hunt for bluefin tuna swimming through the sea. Those animals can measure as much as 10 feet long and travel through the water at pretty rapid speeds, much like the kind of smaller sail boats the orca have increasingly been attacking.

It may sound far-fetched, but there is an increasing body of evidence to show that orca and large marine mammals such as whales teach their offspring new skills. Orcas have previously been observed teaching each other how to hunt great white sharks and it’s thought that humpback whales teach each other their favorite songs.

However cutesy that is to think about, though, it does little to help the people who have been on the receiving end of killer whale attacks in recent years. In fact, estimates suggest a pod of more than 20 orca have hit around 700 boats in this way.