By John Q. Hosedrinker 
A French-flagged sailboat experienced an orca attack near Peniche, Portugal, resulting in the loss of its rudder. The National Maritime Authority (AMN) responded to the distress call, rescuing the five crew members, who were reported to be unharmed. The sailboat was subsequently towed to Peniche by the Lifeguard Service to prevent navigational hazards. An inspection of the vessel will be conducted before it is permitted to sail again.
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Crew rescued from sailboat after orca attack, and it seems like this is becoming a bit of a trend. It’s like the orcas have started their own aquatic version of a TikTok challenge. Seriously, “Orcanized crime?” That’s a funny way to put it, but maybe there’s something to it, isn’t there? I do hope this doesn’t inspire people to harm orcas in retaliation. Humans have done more than enough harm to the oceans and their inhabitants, so let’s not give them any more reason to suffer.
Apparently, these orcas are targeting the rudders of sailboats, and it’s not just a new phenomenon; this has been happening for years. It makes me think of the harrowing tale of the Robertson family from the book “Survive the Savage Sea” by Dougal Robertson, which recounted their ordeal after an orca attack back in 1972.
The family’s sailboat, the *Lucette*, was damaged by orcas, leading to their sinking in the Galapagos. Thankfully, they survived for more than a month using small boats. They had to endure incredible hardship, including rationing food and water, and even drinking turtle blood to stay alive until they were rescued. It’s a testament to human resilience and the sheer power of nature.
It’s fascinating that orcas don’t typically attack or kill humans in the wild, which is a fact that keeps coming up in conversation. It seems this is widely accepted. Yet, this recent behavior, the rudder-attacking, almost feels like a game to them. I’m wondering if this could be evolving into something new, like an orca-style prank, this is pretty amusing.
Considering the destruction and harm humanity has inflicted on the ocean and its creatures for centuries, I can’t help but feel a certain level of “fair play” here. We’ve polluted their waters, destroyed their habitats, and exploited them for our own purposes. Maybe the humans on the sailboats are disturbing the orcas’ hunting grounds, or maybe the Orcas, just don’t like people on boats. From this perspective, I am Team Orca! It’s almost like a form of retaliation, a statement against the imbalance that humans have created.
Maybe a released orca has taught others to not trust and fear humans. It makes you wonder if this message is spreading and evolving into something more complex. It’s a bit like those gorillas trying to get bananas but getting sprayed with a hose. It seems the orcas are now pushing back. I think they are exhibiting behaviors that we’ve never seen before. It may be new, unique, and a bit strange.
Given the fact that they’re intelligent creatures, if they’re attacking boats, it’s possible they’re doing it intentionally. We need to consider these aspects. I’ve seen some people saying they’d feel justified in shooting an orca if one attacked them, but I hope we can find better ways to resolve this. We should, at least, try to understand what’s motivating them.
These are the GOATs of the sea, I am told. It seems the Orcas can see that the human is a threat, and they are just retaliating. They have a right to fight back! Maybe they see our treatment of them in captivity and they are taking action.
Now, of course, it raises the question of how we respond. Can we discourage them from attacking boats without escalating the situation? It’s a delicate balance, protecting human life while also respecting the intelligence and autonomy of these magnificent creatures. It makes me hope there isn’t some awful tragedy.
The behavior is new, but animals are evolving and learning new tricks all the time, like when orcas were balancing dead salmon on their heads for no real reason. It’s just the way they are. Perhaps “Gladis White” is teaching younger orca how to attack yachts.
It’s fascinating. I just hope it doesn’t come to any sort of a tragedy. Hopefully we can all stay safe, as the Orcas continue doing their thing.