For several weeks now, reports of the unusual behavior of killer whales have been worrying sailors on Europe's Atlantic coast. Several yacht crews report attacks by marine mammals on their ships. It seems as if the animals are specifically targeting the oar blades in order to damage them. Yachts have already been turned around their own axis several times and even had to be towed away, unable to maneuver, as various newspapers report.
A German long-haul crew has now recorded such an incident on video. The footage shows how orcas swim close to either side of the boat. One dives under the ship, you can see the steering wheel turning uncontrollably. The crew reports how the whales "bang" against the boat from below. But then they let go of the yacht again.
Thilo Ernst, Leonie Maßmann and Jonas Manke refitted their old steel yacht for a year and equipped them for a circumnavigation of the world. The three friends document their adventure on the YouTube channel "Blue Horizon". They set off in summer 2020. Her latest video shows the Biscay crossing that has just ended and the whale incident
Why the killer whales behave so aggressively is a mystery. Although there are repeated reports of clashes between whales and yachts, targeted attacks like those recently experienced are not reported. Most of the incidents were reported in the Strait of Gibraltar, off the Portuguese coast and on the Bay of Biscay. The coast guards warn of this via radio. They advise keeping your distance from whales and reporting the position of the animals if they are sighted.
According to reports from whale researchers, one cause of what is happening could be stress in the animals, which is caused by the high volume of ships and fishing nets in the region. Another thesis of the marine biologists suggests that it is always the same group of animals whose offspring let off steam in a playful way.
In any case, the meeting of whale and boat in the region can currently have serious consequences for the sailors - crews should take the warnings of the coast guard seriously.
You can read an interview with a whale researcher about the enigmatic encounters between animals and sailing yachts in YACHT 22/2020, which will be published at the beginning of October.