In an unforeseen maritime odyssey lasting 45 minutes, the crew of Grazie Mamma found themselves in an enchanting encounter with a pod of orcas in the mystical waters of the Strait of Gibraltar. The yacht’s rudder became the focal point of the orcas’ playful attention, resulting in notable damage and leakage. Despite bidding adieu to their vessel, the crew was safely transported back to Tanger-Med in Morocco by dedicated rescuers. Morskie Mile, the intrepid Warsaw-based touring company, took to the poetic realm of Facebook to share sentiments that transcend the material, expressing that while the yacht housed treasured memories, the enduring love for the sea will sail forth with Grazie Mamma II.
Amidst the ebb and flow of maritime narratives, the company assured its community that the upcoming voyages to the enchanting Canary Islands are steadfastly charting their course.
This recent aquatic saga, unfolding last week, joins a captivating series of orca “encounters” in the waters between southern Europe and northern Africa—an enigma that continues to bewitch researchers and oceanic storytellers alike.
Since 2020, there have been approximately 500 encounters between orcas and boats, as noted by Alfredo López Fernandez, a coauthor of a 2022 study in the journal Marine Mammal Science. At least three boats have sunk, though there is no recorded instance of an orca causing harm to a human in the wild.
Scientists are actively working to understand the cause of this behavior.
Some researchers posit that the orcas may be engaging in playful behavior, while others suggest that the whales might be drawn to the sensation of the rudder.
“What we think is that they’re asking to have the propeller in the face,” said Renaud de Stephanis, president and coordinator at CIRCE Conservación Information and Research in Spain, in an interview with us last year. When they encounter a sailboat without its engine on, “they get kind of frustrated and that’s why they break the rudder,” de Stephanis said.
Another perspective suggests that the behavior might be a form of retaliation, possibly stemming from previous, potentially traumatic encounters with fishing boats.
“I definitely think orcas are capable of complex emotions like revenge,” Monika Wieland Shields, director of the Orca Behavior Institute previously said.
Shields said she does not think “we can completely rule it out,” even if she was not entirely convinced herself.
This highlights why researchers find it challenging to make definitive conclusions based on the documented interactions. In a letter published this summer, 30 scientists cautioned against “attributing narratives to these animals,” emphasizing that “Without additional evidence, one should avoid assuming they comprehend the animals’ motivations.