In 2020, sailors near the Iberian peninsula reported orcas engaging with boats in alarming ways, such as ramming and disabling vessels. Over 670 interactions were documented, involving about 15 orcas, leading to severe damage in about a fifth of the cases and the sinking of six boats.
Experts concluded these were not attacks but possibly playful behaviours or a cultural fad among the orcas. These findings highlight the complexities of studying orca behaviour, as their large, highly developed brains and social structures make them capable of such activities.
Guest: Dr. Luke Rendell, Reader in Biology at the University of St. Andrews
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