Two young Orcas damaged a sailboat near Brittany, France, over 1500 kilometers from the Strait of Gibraltar where the interactions have become a well-known phenomenon in recent months.
Two Orcas damaged a sailboat in the Bigouden region of France last week, marking the northernmost 'interaction' between whales and yachts that has Mediterranean sailors on edge since the Orcas began showing the new behavior in 2020.
Bigouden, historically known as Cap Caval, is along the Bay of Audierne in the Brittany region of France. Brittany is France's westernmost peninsula and sits roughly 1500 kilometres north of the Strait of Gibraltar where the encounters have been happening with increased regularity since early 2022.
The Gibraltar Strait, which connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Morocco, has seen over 700 documented events where the whales have displayed a strange interest in yachts -- especially sailboats -- in which they systematically bump the boats or otherwise prevent a vessel from maintaining its course.
At least five vessels have been sunk outright, most of which have been the result of whales snapping off the boat's rudder and inadvertently causing a leak. Sailors have resorted to various tactics to dissuade them, including everything from underground speakers, to staying close to shore, to racing through the Strait, in an attempt to prevent an encounter. No fatalities have been reported.
As the interactions have ramped up scientists have been streaming to the region. In May, a team from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) released a report claiming that the encounters were most likely explained as playful behavior being taught between members of a pod.
According to the IWC, "The singular agreement amongst the experts at this workshop is that the interactions between Iberian killer whales and vessels are not aggressive. The interactions have more elements consistent with fad behaviour or play/socialising than aggression." In essence, a combination of high intelligence, learning capability, and the whales having steady access to slow moving boats near their tuna hunting grounds resulted in a unique set of circumstances in which the whales learned new behaviors.
It is believed that a pod of only about 35 Orcas is responsible for the majority of the interactions in the Strait. Researchers have also suggested that it may be as low as 16 -- four adults and 12 juveniles -- who are regularly interacting with boats.
However, the latest incident in Bigouden marks a significant distance from the Strait of Gibraltar, leading to questions as to whether the same pod of whales is responsible for the recent event in France, or if the behavior has reached new groups over time.
The interaction was first reported on July 16th off the Brittany Coast and resulted in the Coast Guard having to tow a sailing yacht back to the port of Guilvinec.
According to Le Télégramme, two young Orcas rammed the sailboat repeatedly until it was inoperable. There were two adults on board a 38-foot wooden sailboat named Pieter Jan.
The boat's rudder was destroyed during the interaction, preventing the Pieter Jan from navigating, thus requiring additional help from authorities.
Strangely, while the cases in the Strait of Gibraltar have been drawing significant media attention, there are several lesser-known reports about Orcas behaving similarly around the Brittany coast. The amalgamation of attacks over such a large area is likely to force scientists and researchers to expand their observations beyond simply the Strait of Gibraltar.
The group GT Orca Atlantica maintains an interactive map detailing the date and location of every interaction recorded by scientists.
Given the distance between France's west coast and the Strait, it remains unknown if there is any connection between the Orcas inhabiting both areas.
Scientists will certainly be keeping an eye along coastal France to document any further encounters and how the behavior is similar to the interactions in the Strait of Gibraltar. #news
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