It’s Orcas vs. Humans, and I’m Team Orca

The orcas of the world have decided that it is time to strike back. I’m going to assume that one of them has seen Free Willy and said, “Absolutely not”—that or Blackfish, whatever their heart was moved by. The reality is that, according to scientists, one orca may have been traumatized by a boat and, in its own agony, attacked a boat in revenge, and other orcas are learning to do the same.

So, what we’re seeing now is a series of orcas attacking boats and their children learning to do the same thing, and it has become something of a sea war between orcas and people with boats. It’s honestly been a long time coming and the orcas deserve this.

On May 4, three orcas struck a yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar. What’s great is that their young are seemingly learning through mimicry. “There were two smaller and one larger orca,” skipper Werner Schaufelberger told the publication Yacht. “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 then went on to say that the smaller orcas saw this behavior and mimicked it. “The two little orcas observed the bigger one’s technique and, with a slight run-up, they too slammed into the boat.” Honestly though? Good for them! For the years of torment against orcas in our society, it’s honestly kind of great that they are fighting back against the boats out there.

Free Willy: Revenge of the Orcas sounds nice

These encounters seem to stem the whole way back to May of 2020. Now, with new cases popping up still, the behavior is clearly something that the orcas are passing on to one another. To be clear, this isn’t an every ship situation. Reports state that there have been 500 incidents since May of 2020, but for every 100 ships, only one of them will be touched by the orcas, and only 3 of them have actually sunk.

I hope that means they’re just biding their time to get their numbers up so when they do start their domination of the sea, they are destined to win. Is that aggressive to think? Maybe, but then I am reminded of Blackfish and the pain that orcas (also known as killer whales) have been through for my entire life, and I do not blame them.

Get your revenge, guys. Go ahead and tank some boats. If no one is getting hurt, why not? It’s the least that the orcas should get for years of being attacked as “enjoyment” for people in places like Sea World. So here is to the orcas, organizing a whole generation together to take down boats that are in their waters and near their home. Good for you.

(via Live Science, featured image: Fox)