Orcas Relocate for Rudder Ramming Behavior

The damaging interactions between orcas and yachts off the Iberian Peninsula in Europe continued in 2025, shifting for the first time in years back to the north (rather than concentrating around the Strait of Gibraltar). The first interactions were reported in 2020—for six seasons, almost half of the 40 or so orcas who live in the Atlantic waters off Spain and Portugal have been ramming the rudders of hundreds of sailing yachts (and the occasional motorboat). Most of the interactions end without harm to boats or passengers, but sometimes the whales have disabled navigation, necessitating the rescue of crew. In a small number of cases (<10), the whales ramming the rudder have caused a hull breach, sinking the vessel. The latest sinking was in mid-September off Portugal. Cetacean scientists, including AWI’s Dr. Naomi Rose, remain baffled as to why this faddish behavior, which they believe is a form of play, has not faded away.

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