There have been at least 33 of the bizarre attacks in northern Spain, in the Strait of Gibraltar and off Portugal since July, in which the orcas surround small craft and deliberately ram the ships’ rudders, and attempt to tip them over. The attacks have caused severe damage — and in some cases, disabled the ships.

Do whales ever attack boats?

While an accidental collision with a sperm whale at night accounted for sinking of the Union in 1807, the Essex incident some 30 years beforehand was the only other documented case of a whale deliberately attacking, holing, and sinking a ship.

Where are killer whales attacking boats?

During the summer of 2020, the strangest of summers for so many of us, a group of killer whales off the coast of Spain and Portugal began to act very strangely indeed. Accounts of the incidents suggested that the animals were deliberately targeting sailing boats.