In the Strait of Gibraltar, the revenge of Gladis the orca
Killer whale 'attacks' on sailboats in these waters have been increasing over the past three
years. According to scientists, all the cetaceans involved in these incidents belong to the family
of a female hit by a boat in 2020.
By Sofia Fischer
Published today at 3:53 am (Paris), updated at 10:09 am • 3 min.
"Mayday! Mayday! Orca attack." April Boyes' Instagram story, posted at the end of May, began like any
other of its kind. It described the azure waters of the Strait of Gibraltar, the sunset in the distance.
That was until a pod of orcas approached her 20-meter sailboat, the Mustique. In less than an hour,
the animals had torn of the rudder and caused a leak in the engine. Sea rescuers from Barbate, on the
Spanish coast, had to call in a helicopter to pump out what they could before towing the boat.
Already in port was the hull of the Champagne, a yacht sunk by the same cetaceans. A few days later,
in Portugal, the Faro coastguard received a call from an English couple barricaded in their cockpit. An
orca had just taken of with a piece of their rudder in its mouth. They tried to call the nearby
catamaran for help, but it too had lost part of its boat that afternoon.
In the Strait of Gibraltar, the Spanish and Portuguese coastguards now receive calls several times a
week, sometimes even several times a day. Sometimes it is for really serious episodes that require
An orca near a Moroccan fishing boat in the Strait of Gibraltar in August 2015. PATTY TSE
/ ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
In the Strait of Gibraltar, the revenge of Gladis the orca
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their intervention. There were half a dozen in June. And sometimes it is because sailors are worried
by the stories they have heard and they panic when they see the mammals approaching their ship.
Over 250 boats damaged since January
Since February 2020, more than 500 incidents have been recorded by the Atlantic Orca Working
Group (GTOA), a group of scientists created especially for observing the phenomenon. Three boats
have already been sunk. Since January, the number of "interactions" has increased. "Interactions" is
how the researchers prefer to call the incidents. They are concerned about protecting this endangered
species.
Renaud de Stephanis holds a Ph.D. in environmental sciences, is based in the Strait of Gibraltar region
and has been observing this population of orcas for more than 20 years. He thinks that it is just "a
game" and that they are having fun with turning the boat 360 degrees. The scientist has already lost
12 rudders while out at sea. "This species profile isn't going to put itself in dangerous situations. They
must have realized gradually that there is no danger and they invented a game, which the matriarch
teaches to the younger ones."
Read more Clip provides first proof of orcas killing great white sharks
Paul Tixier, a member of the Marbec mixed research team, added: "Given that these interactions
started when we were coming out of the first [Covid] lockdown, we asked ourselves if the resumption
of noise for animals that had never experienced the calm that they had during Covid had anything to
do with it. But, in the end, I think that it's a game. Even though these are complex animals that we are
far from knowing everything about."
White Gladis, 'patient zero' of the phenomenon
The GTOA researchers, on the other hand, put forward a diferent hypothesis. They think the origin of
these "attacks" is linked to the trauma sufered by one of the Strait's orcas, the female White Gladis,
"patient zero" of the phenomenon. She has a long scar, probably caused by a collision with a ship.
Since then, the cetacean has been tearing of rudders. This is a behavior that has since been copied by
younger whales.
One thing that scientists agree on is that out of 39 orcas identified in the narrow strait, only those
belonging to Gladis' family are interacting with sailors. The GTOA's website shows this group's family
tree, called "the Gladises," of about 15 orcas that have "attacked" boats and whose female is considered
the matriarch. Her accident coupled with the increasingly difcult situation for sea mammals in the
Strait is potentially the source of these "incidents." The Strait of Gibraltar has a constant flow of ships,
and there is a battle with humans over resources. The biologist Alfredo Lopez, from the University of
Aveiro, in Portugal and a member of the GTOA, called the incidents "rare and strange."
Read more Orca mothers pamper their adult sons and pay the price
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In the Strait of Gibraltar, the revenge of Gladis the orca
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While waiting to find a solution, the Spanish Ministry of Transportation has started to ban, for now,
boats smaller than 15 meters in the area. Sailors' WhatsApp and Telegram channels used for sharing
mishaps and exact coordinates of the mammals have proliferated. The ofcial recommendations in
the event of an interaction vary. The Portuguese government suggests turning of the boat's motor
immediately, whereas the Spanish authorities recommend stepping on the gas and pulling away as
quickly as possible. The only restriction is about using firecrackers, which would harm the orcas'
hearing. They need to hear in order to survive.
On social media, Gladis has in the meantime become a symbol of animal rebellion against human
activity. She is a Moby Dick for modern times who goes after yachts. On June 21, when underwater
noises were picked up by planes sent to search for the Titan, the submarine that disappeared near the
wreck of the Titanic, the fans of the "revolutionary orca" went wild. "Gladis did it again," fantasized
several internet users. Ikea's Spanish branch wasted no time in launching its own Gladis stufed toy
and announced in a tweet: "Avenger by day, adorable by night. #TeamGladis."
Read more Who can save Hvaldimir, the wandering beluga whale?
Sofia Fischer
Translation of an original article published in French on
lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for
the French version.