Killer whales collide with ships in Spain and Portugal leave scientists baffled

Killer whales have rammed yachts and boats and injured sailors off the coasts of Portugal and Spain.

Scientists cannot explain what is causing this sudden change in behavior on the part of the killer whales, which have already caused damage to several ships in the last two months.

The Guardian reports that the latest incident occurred off the coast of A Coruña, in northern Spain, where a killer whale struck a 36-foot boat at least 15 times.

Victoria Morris was crewing in Spain on the ship when the encounter with the killer whales worsened.

“The noise was really scary,” he said. “They were ramming the keel, there was a horrible echo, I thought they might capsize the ship. And this deafening noise as they communicated, hissing with each other. It was so loud that we had to scream.” It felt, he says, “totally orchestrated.”

Two ships have also reportedly lost part of their rudders and crew members have been injured in the different incidents.

Alfonso Gómez-Jordana Martín, a 31-year-old from Alicante, was manning a delivery boat near Barbate when the killer whales began to hit the rudder of the 40-foot vessel.

“Once they stopped us, they came faster: 10-15 knots, from a distance of about 25 meters,” he told The Guardian. “The impact capsized the boat on its side.”

The ships have been radioing the coastguards for help in reporting killer whale attacks, from Gibraltar to Galicia.

Experts who have been studying a small population of killer whales off Gibraltar say that it is normal for the animal to follow the boats, but cases of ramming and attacks are not common.

According to The Guardian, scientists are baffled by what could be causing this sudden wave of aggression, calling it “very unusual” and “concerning.”

Spanish maritime authorities have issued warnings for crews to keep their distance.