Orcas are probably not heavy metal fans – and still attack ships

The crew of a catamaran traveling through the Strait of Gibraltar was recently surprised by a group of destructive orcas. But they weren’t the first in this regard – the killer whales had increasingly targeted seafarers between Portugal and Spain in recent times. To get rid of the uninvited guests, they played heavy metal songs to them in the hope that it would drive them away. Unfortunately in vain.

“Metal for Orcas”

The captain of the catamaran reported to the “New York Times” about his encounter with the sea creatures. He and his team used the Spotify playlist “Metal for Orcas” to sound the whales underwater so that they would get the urge to leave again – their plan didn’t work. Unimpressed by the metal music, the orca group attacked their boat, destroying the rudder and putting the crew out of action. No one was injured and the entire crew was rescued unharmed from the still precarious situation. Their stricken boat was towed to the Spanish coast.

“Metal for Orcas” is actually a public playlist of heavy metal tracks from bands like Dying Fetus and Aborted. Listen here:

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Underwater sound = good or bad idea?

The head of marine mammal research at the University of British Columbia said in an interview “Business Insider” some insights into the character traits of sea creatures. He explained why they weren’t impressed by the crew’s trick: “At first, playing loud sounds underwater might mask the distinctive sounds of sailboats – but eventually the whales will catch on and use it to attack ships that play these sounds. easier to locate.” He also explained what consequences the sound system could have: “The biggest problem with playing underwater music of any kind is that it ultimately only leads to further noise pollution of the ocean, which can have harmful effects on other marine life. “

The orcas’ recent attack on the catamaran was not the first event sailors have faced. Attacks on maritime vessels have been taking place again and again since 2020, but no one has been seriously injured yet. In June 2023, experts expressed the suspicion to “The Guardian” that the orcas were not as dangerous as they were made out to be. They thought it was possible that they just wanted to play with the boats.

Footage of an orca attack: