Researchers are unsure about the causes for the behaviour, but theories include that it is a playful manifestation of the mammals’ curiosity, a social fad or the intentional targeting of what they perceive as competitors for their favourite prey, the local bluefin tuna.
Wasn’t there a big thing about how they suspected these attacks might have started with a mother watching her baby get maimed and killed by a yacht? Like, I swear it was a thing, but I can’t find any articles about it and Wikipedia says roughly the same thing as the quoted paragraph.
I will say though, that I found this bit from Wikipedia interesting:
Researchers have also suggested that the behaviour could be a “fad”. Other such cultural phenomena among orcas have been short-lived, such as in 1987 when southern resident orcas from Puget Sound carried dead salmon around on their heads.
Fascinating.
Orca meme culture is sinking yachts. They are taking Eat the Rich to a whole new level.
such as in 1987 when southern resident orcas from Puget Sound carried dead salmon around on their heads.
Fascinating.
That really is. I feel like we’ve witnessed an inside joke that we couldn’t possibly ‘get’.
Researchers have also suggested that the behaviour could be a “fad”. Other such cultural phenomena among orcas have been short-lived, such as in 1987 when southern resident orcas from Puget Sound carried dead salmon around on their heads.
Oh man, I’m so behind the times. That’s not in anymore? No wonder why everyone’s been looking at me weird.
Why have I not heard about orca salmon hats until now? This should be first year biology stuff.
I also recall hearing about the mother orca and her baby
I want to do something to help these orcas. Like feed them. Or give them some kind of yacht-stabbing weapon for more efficient sinking.
Now do a mega yacht.
Nature is so wise…
https://www.risingshadow.net/book/59632-souls-in-the-great-machine
If you like this, check out the Greatwinter trilogy, there is a “siren song” that the citaciones (whales) set at random times that lured humans to thier death, because they were done with out shit. Survivors walk around with “anchors on timers” so if you get caught in one, when the timer goes off the anchor drops, hopefully you get it tangled in something and stop walking so after the wave passes you you wake up. a very good od trilogy!
I’ll have to check that out! There’s also Cachalot by Alan Dean Foster, which is an old favorite of mine. Humans give cetaceans their own planet and–without spoiling too much–shenanigans ensue.
Thanks for reminding me to finish reading that book!
Is this revenge for the cruise ship that killed that endangered whale?
Are the cetaceans fighting back? Are we at war with whales?? That would be pretty badass.
