REVENGE OF THE ORCAS [FT401:17, 412:21]
The pod of orcas, or killer whales, who took to attacking small boats off the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal in 2020 have continued their assaults, sinking at least three boats, and now it is believed that their behaviour is being copied by other orcas in the area. The orcas use a specific technique to attack a boat; they approach from the stern and strike the rudder, continuing until the boat is disabled, after which they lose interest. German yachtsman Werner Schaufelberger, who experienced an orca attack on 4 May, said: “The little ones shook the rudder at the back while the big one repeatedly backed up and rammed the ship with full force from the side.” He believes the orcas are teaching others how to attack boats. “The two little orcas observed the bigger one’s technique and, with a slight run-up, they too slammed into the boat,”
