--- title: "Orcas Strike Again" description: "The orcas are back at it again off the coast of Spain, and this time, there's a new theory about their mysterious motivations. " date: "2024-08-28" modified: "2024-08-28" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/orcas-strike-again-sailboat" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "killer whales" - "orcas" - "sailing" - "the digest" --- # Orcas Strike Again ![The orcas are back at it again off the coast of Spain, and this time, there's a new theory about their mysterious motivations. ]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Back in Action Killer whales are back at it again off the coast of Spain — and this time, there's a new theory about their mysterious motivations. As the [*New York Times*]() and [other outlets report](), a pod of orcas destroyed the rudder of the Amidala, a sailboat with a two-person Belgian crew that became stranded after the attack near Cape Finisterre, a peninsula near Galicia, Spain. Though the boat didn't sink, the rescue effort was hindered by high winds and waves, resulting in injuries to one of the crew member's hands as the Amidala was being towed. Ultimately, it took four hours to get the boat back to shore. While far from the most severe, this latest orca ramming again [raises questions about the animals' motives]() as [sailors share tips]() — [and apps]() — with each other on how to survive such attacks. A previous theory circulated last year suggested that the Iberian Coast's killer whales [may be acting out of revenge]() due to traumatic events in their pasts. Other scientists have suggested, as the *NYT* notes, that the animals may just be [bored teenagers goofing off](). ## Wave Theory As this latest attack garners headlines, a new research paper out of Spain's Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (BDRI) posits that these pods of Iberian orcas are essentially using boats as target practice when teaching their young how to hunt for bluefin tuna, which can be up to 10 feet long and are very fast. 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." **More on marine disasters:** [*Billionaire's Body Recovered From Sunken Superyacht*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()