Scientists believe the animals appear to be ‘playing,’ and are not acting aggressively
||| FROM THE MESSENGER.COM |||
Orcas off the Spanish coast are having a ball interacting with and targeting small sailing and fishing boats.
This behavior is believed to date back to 2020 when two orcas began displaying this behavior, according to BBC News. Now, at least 20 orcas are acting similarly. Scientists told the outlet that the animals appear to be “playing,” and they are not acting aggressively.
“It’s only a game. It isn’t revenge [against boats], it isn’t climate change, it’s just a game and that’s it,” Dr. Renaud de Stephanis, a scientist from Spain, said.
GT Orca Atlantica, an organization working towards the conservation of orcas off the Iberian coast, has reported five of these interactions since May.
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French sailor Lou Lombardi said the creatures nudged and spun his boat around for 80 minutes, hitting the rudder until it split apart. He did not find the animals violent, and they seemed to enjoy the boat’s rudder.
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