Three theories as to why orcas are behaving like this. One is a reaction to living in a stressful environment. Another is revenge, after an encounter with a boat which was fatal or where an animal was hurt. And the third hypothesis is that it's just some kind of play for the whales.
Since 2020, orcas off the coast of Spain and Portugal have been ramming boats, biting rudders and, in a few cases, sinking entire vessels. Now it has been reported that a similar encounter has happened off Shetland. Madeleine Finlay speaks to marine biologist and orca expert Hanne Strager about what might be behind these incidents and where our fascination with orcas comes from This podcast was amended on 27 June 2023. An earlier version contained audio of the calls of a humpback whale, not an orca. This audio has now been removed.. Help support our independent journalism at
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