Never miss any of the fun stuff. Get the biggest stories and wackiest takes from the Daily Star, including our special WTF Wednesday email
Thank you for subscribing!
Never miss any of the fun stuff. Get the biggest stories and wackiest takes from the Daily Star, including our special WTF Wednesday email
We have more newsletters
An expert has explained the "cultural fad" behind a recent spate of orca attacks in a killer whale "danger zone."
A pod of the aquatic animals attacked a boat between Spain and Morocco on October 31, the latest in a string of attacks over the last three years. The Grazie Mamma II yacht sank after its rudder was assaulted by a pod of orcas for 45 minutes.
Fortunately all members of the crew were rescued, but it hasn't stopped other sailors from growing concerned over the assaults. Now an expert from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has weighed in, describing the behaviour as "briefly popular" among the group, similar to how humans have grown obsessed with the video sharing app TikTok.
READ MORE: Sailors in 'orca danger zone' chuck bottles of urine and play dead to stop attacks
For the latest brilliantly bizarre news from the Daily Star, click here.
PETA Vice President of Programmes Elisa Allen told the Daily Star: "Historically, orcas living in their ocean homes have never been known to be aggressive to humans, so we speculate that these interactions with boats are out of playful curiosity.
"These highly social animals reportedly develop what behaviourists refer to as 'cultural fads' – novel behaviour that briefly becomes popular within a group, similar to TikTok or fashion trends being embraced by human populations – and these interactions with marine vessels may be a phase that will disappear. In the meantime, we must remember that when we enter the open oceans, we are in orcas’ home territory.
Join the Daily Star's WhatsApp for the sexiest headlines, showbiz gossip and lots more
The Daily Star is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join us!
Through the app, we'll send you the sassiest showbiz stories, some naught headline and a seismic smattering of aliens…along with the latest breaking news of course.
To join our community, all you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in!
No one will be able to see who has sign up and no one can send messages except for the Daily Star team. We also treat our community members to competitions, special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN
"We are interlopers, while they have every right to be there."
The Daily Star previously reported sailors between Spain and Morocco had resorted to desperate measures to prevent orca attacks. Business Insider outlined six of the more bizarre techniques used to stave off the animals.
Some had even resorted to dumping urine into the sea, but this proved ineffective. "Urine had ZERO effect," the sailors who had attempted it wrote in a report.
Others tried chucking sand into the sea to temporarily interfere with the creature's echolocation system. One person who was involved in an orca attack told the Cruising Association: "I deployed sand when heard them around the stern but this had a temporary effect only.
"They returned almost immediately after the sand dispersed in water."
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.
- Animals
- TikTok
- Exclusives
Source: Read Full Article