Killer Whales Attacking Boats Near Spain and Portugal: White Gladis and Her Pod’s Enigmatic New Language

Orcas off the coasts of Spain and Portugal have been exhibiting bizarre and alarming behavior for several years: deliberately targeting and ramming yachts and sailboats in the Strait of Gibraltar.

More than 700 interactions with vessels have been recorded since 2020, with several boats severely damaged or even sunk. This unusual pattern has captured the attention of marine researchers worldwide. The Sun writes about this.

Who Is White Gladis — Leader of the Attacking Orcas?

The pod most frequently involved in these incidents is led by a female orca nicknamed White Gladis. Experts believe she may have initiated this behavior, possibly after a traumatic collision with a boat or as a form of play that escalated into a learned trend.

Younger orcas in the group quickly adopted the habit, turning it into a kind of social fad within the pod.

Typical attacks involve the orcas approaching a vessel, pushing it with their noses, and damaging the rudder, leaving the boat uncontrollable. In recent years, at least five yachts have sunk due to these encounters, while dozens more have suffered significant damage.

A Brand-New Orca Dialect: Sounds That Stunned Scientists

Recent studies have revealed that White Gladis’s group hasn’t just changed its behavior — it has also evolved an entirely new communication system.

Researchers from the Spanish conservation organization CIRCE recorded four distinct vocalizations never previously documented in any other orca population.

“We used to think Iberian orcas were relatively quiet. Now we’re hearing calls unlike anything known before. From a cultural preservation standpoint, it’s astonishing — like suddenly discovering a new human language in the heart of Europe,” said Reno de Stephanis, president of CIRCE.

He compared the differences between this pod’s new dialect and those of other orcas to the gap between Arabic and Latin. Such cultural innovations are typical of orcas, highly intelligent animals that pass knowledge and traditions across generations.

VIDEO: A pod of killer whales ramming boats.

Why Are Orcas Ramming Boats? Leading Theories

Experts continue to debate the root causes. The most discussed hypotheses include:

• Play and social trend — Young orcas imitating adults, treating boats as toys.
• Response to trauma — White Gladis may have been injured by a vessel and is now “retaliating.”
• Resource stress — Declining bluefin tuna stocks have put pressure on the pod, leading to increased frustration or boldness.

Importantly, scientists emphasize that these orcas pose no threat to humans — all incidents have targeted boats only, never people on board.

The Future for Gibraltar’s Orcas

The Iberian orca subpopulation is critically endangered, with fewer than 50 individuals remaining. Continued boat interactions risk injury or death for the animals if crews react defensively. Conservationists urge boaters to respect the whales’ space and avoid provoking them.

This ongoing story highlights just how intelligent and culturally rich orcas truly are. Their ability to invent new vocalizations and behavioral trends makes them one of the ocean’s most fascinating species.