ScienceBoat-ramming orcas off Spain and Portugal may just want to play
News from Science reports that a study based on underwater footage and firsthand observations concludes the killer whales aren’t trying to harm humans.
TLDR
News from Science said on September 20, 2026, that orcas had sunk nine boats off Spain and Portugal over the previous six years, causing millions of dollars in damage. Vessels frequently needed towing to shipyards with tooth marks underneath and rudders ripped off. But the study it describes concludes that the whales aren’t trying to harm humans: Based on underwater footage and firsthand observations, scientists think they probably just want to play.
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Boat-ramming orcas off Spain and Portugal may just want to play
News from Science reports that a study based on underwater footage and firsthand observations concludes the killer whales aren’t trying to harm humans.
TLDR
News from Science said on September 20, 2026, that orcas had sunk nine boats off Spain and Portugal over the previous six years, causing millions of dollars in damage. Vessels frequently needed towing to shipyards with tooth marks underneath and rudders ripped off. But the study it describes concludes that the whales aren’t trying to harm humans: Based on underwater footage and firsthand observations, scientists think they probably just want to play.