Orcas aren’t attacking boats — they’re just playful teens, scientists say

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What might seem like killer whales orchestrating vengeful and coordinated attacks on ships is probably a playful fad among bored teen orcas, scientists say.

Hundreds of dangerous boat-ramming incidents over the past five years have cast orcas as deep-sea villains plotting to take back the ocean.

The group, which includes biologists, government officials and marine industry representatives, on Friday released a report outlining their hypothesis: The orcas just want to have fun, and in the vast - and rather empty - open waters, the boats’ rudders are a prime toy. “There’s nothing in the behavior of the animals that suggests that they’re being aggressive,” said Zerbini, who is also part of the working group. “As they play with the rudder, they don’t understand that they can damage the rudder and that damaging the rudder will affect human beings. It’s more playful than intentional.

In other words, it became a ridiculous fad - not unlike, say, the viral Tide pod or cinnamon challenges. Orcas, Rose said, are similar to people in many ways. For instance, each population has a particular culture, language and food staple. Orcas and people also mature at a similar pace and, much like humans, female whales do so faster than males.

 

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