The main whale named ‘White Gladis’ may have been behind the recent increased killer whale attacks and suffered a boat trauma… It is thought that he learned the attack tactics of other killer whales from Gladis.
Killer whales are impressive creatures when viewed from the outside. They’ve even inspired popular family movies like Free Willy. However, not all of them are courteous when they encounter boats in their own waters. Recently, killer whales have reportedly begun attacking boats in a coordinated manner. Swarms of killer whales caused three boats to sink as a result of the collisions. The latest attack was recorded on video.
The Telegraph comments on the incident: “A vengeful killer whale named Gladis is leading orca gangs into battle with yachts around Gibraltar and has already sunk three boats in Europe. It may sound like something out of Moby Dick, but in this case the truth is Herman Melville’s fictional Stranger than the white whale story, researchers believe, a female orca named White Gladis is determined to take revenge after being traumatized by being hit by a boat or entangled in illegal fishing nets. Gladis’ attacks are now copied by the rest of the killer whale population, who have learned how to crash ships from their ringleaders “
A BOAT STRIKE GLADIS MAY HAVE TRIGGERED THE KILLER Whale
According to scientists, the reason for the attacks is a killer whale named Gladis. Experts speculate that Gladis likely had a traumatic experience, such as colliding with a boat or being caught in fishing nets, which set off the first wave of attacks.
POSSIBLY GLADIS TEACHING
Because killer whales are social creatures, they easily adopt the behavior of other killer whales. This seems to have caused many killer whales in Europe to start attacking the boats. Attacks take the form of collisions, which not only endanger boats but also head injuries to animals. Scientists say Gladis continues to teach how to attack its surroundings, even teaching young whales.
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British sailor April Boyes, 31, also shared footage of Thursday’s attack on Instagram. “What started as a seemingly unique encounter ended with the orcas ripping our rudder off our boat and then tearing some pieces off the boat for an hour”. she wrote.
It’s strange when killer whales attack boats, especially considering how gentle these creatures have always been. But even the great white shark, one of the ocean’s most powerful predators, fears killer whales. The frightening truth is that this state of constant learning could spread to other whale populations and cause a real war between boats and killer whales.
The last attack reportedly took place on May 2, in the Strait of Gibraltar. A yacht ran into trouble when it encountered a pack of killer whales. There was a couple on the yacht, Janet Morris and Stephen Bidwell. The couple managed to videotape the moment of the killer whales attack. While the killer whales did not sink the boat, it did cause thousands of dollars worth of serious damage.
‘THEY IMMEDIATELY MADE THE STRUCTURAL TACT’
In early May, the sailing yacht Alboran Champagne was similarly attacked by three killer whales. The boat’s captain, Werner Schaufelberger, said he saw two smaller whales mimicking the slamming tactic of the larger orca, believed to be a matriarch named “White Gladis”.
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