Why are killer whale attacks on the rise? These scientists set sail to find out

Attacks by orcas, or killer whales, on boats in the Strait of Gibraltar are increasing. But why are these seemingly peaceful creatures becoming dangerous.

ABOARD A BOAT IN THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR — From the surface, the azure waters seem calm and inviting in this narrow patch where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea.

Spain’s arid coast looms in one direction; the tip of Africa in another, less than 10 miles away. From time to time, schools of small fish breach the water in unison, as if in symphony.

But with binoculars trained on the horizon, the boat’s captain is on the lookout for something potentially far more unsettling: orcas, also known as killer whales, who in recent years have taken to slamming boats with alarming regularity.

Over the last five years, roughly 700 orca run-ins have been recorded, according to the Atlantic Orca Working Group-GTOA, a partnership of Spanish and Portuguese scientists that monitors the Iberian killer whale population. At least a half-dozen yachts, fishing vessels and sailboats have sunk.

For the Spanish fisherman who take to the Strait of Gibraltar nightly hunting for tuna, marlin and swordfish, the likelihood of an orca run-in has added another harrowing element to an already dangerous job.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/are-killer-whale-attacks-rise-scientists-set-sail-find-rcna169295

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