Three orcas are seen just below the water's surface.

Vengeance—or playtime? Why orcas are coordinating attacks against sailboats

The common denominator in dozens of incidents appears to be a mature female named White Gladis.

A group of orcas (killer whales) work together to hunt herring. Orcas have complex communication and social skills, leading some experts to think they might be planning ship strikes off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula.
Photograph by PAUL NICKLEN, Nat Geo Image Collection

Orcas, or killer whales, are well known for their intelligence and for their remarkable hunting techniques: whether it’s turning great white sharks upside down or working cooperatively to take down large whales. And a population of orcas off the Iberian Peninsula has been gaining attention over the last three years—and causing angst among sailors—by attacking and even sinking boats in the area.

The first recorded attack occurred in the Strait of Gibraltar in May 2020, with dozens of cases recorded since then. Most of the incidents are remarkably consistent, generally involving a small group of whales attacking the rudders of small sailboats before breaking off and swimming away.

In June and November

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