Orcas Just Sank Another Yacht

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/orcas-just-sank-another-yacht/

by belter • 2 years ago

37 33 2 years ago

scientificamerican.com

kordlessagain• 2 years ago

We could use AI to ask a captive orca what they think about this matter.

astrodust• 2 years ago

That's like asking someone from an unconnected tribe why kids are doing stupid stuff on TikTok.

onemoresoop• 2 years ago

Do you think one can use AI to help humans build some common sense? You seem to need it badly.

lambaro• 2 years ago

What in the world are you talking about?

runsfromfire• 2 years ago

“So long and thanks for all the yachts”

anticorporate• 2 years ago

What I saw in other reports that I did not see highlighted in this article is that the whales aren't just deciding to sink yachts, but appear to be teaching each other.

https://www.livescience.com/animals/orcas/orcas-have-sunk-3-...

Personally, I have my fingers crossed that they can learn to target yachts specifically.

HFguy• 2 years ago

"I have my fingers crossed that they can learn to target yachts specifically."

"Yachts" here look like moderately sized sail boats. Doesn't look like this is rich people's super yachts if that is what you are getting at.

zardo• 2 years ago

The definition of yacht is loosely a boat for personal use that is suitable for multiple day trips.

maxerickson• 2 years ago

Right, the response will obviously be to do nothing/protect the whales.

(I'm being sarcastic, they'll get slaughtered)

Big incentive to learn the language I guess, so that someone can explain how one sided the situation actually is.

fuzzfactor• 2 years ago

It probably all started with somebody in a yacht flushing their toilet in that part of the sea.

I can imagine somebody is sharpening up their harpoons somewhere.

saltcured• 2 years ago

I'm remembering that orca attack was one of the seemingly fanciful explanations floated to explain the disappearance of Jim Gray and his boat near San Francisco years ago.

Would be almost ironic if this were true. (An eminent CS pioneer falling prey to a whale R&D project decades before they took it mainstream.)

victorbjorklund2• 2 years ago

You get that you can buy a sailboat "yacht" in europe for 1000 usd right? Or even get one for free. Plenty of people sailing are not rich.

karaterobot• 2 years ago

“It is a rare behavior that has only been detected in this part of the world,” said Alfredo López, an orca researcher at the Atlantic Orca Working Group (GTOA), in an interview with Scientific American last year.

They also recently rammed into a yacht near Scotland, and in British Columbia an Orca collided a yacht into another yacht by dragging the anchor chain.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/orca-rams-into-yac...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLMvUOq7Bms

I don't know how rare it is either, but it's not unprecedented. There are lots of old sailor stories about aggressive whales.

bobosha• 2 years ago

shocking. wild behavior seen in the wild.

dvfjsdhgfv• 2 years ago

My first thought was that the derogatory name for Russian invaders has somehow become mainstream...

azubinski• 2 years ago

Orcas are not orcs, orcas have a biological nature.

It's just that sometimes orcas don't like yachts :(

This is explainable and understandable at least.

hulitu• 2 years ago

My first thought

keep up the good work. /s

EricE• 2 years ago

Historical precedent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTK01HhyOGA

evolve2k• 2 years ago

There was a YouTube video showing tracked wales trying to cross an ocean. It also visualised ships crossing the same ocean. There was so much traffic that the wales kept having to turn back and turn back. In the end being unable to find a gap in the “traffic” to be able to make the journey across.

I feel this may partly explain the motivation to take a few ships out that fall within do-able for them.

drcongo4• 2 years ago

Can they not go under the traffic?

maxbond2• 2 years ago

If I recall correctly, the issue is noise, not the physical footprint of the boat.

Here's the visualization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qNO6JaL9PY

RACEWAR• 2 years ago

As susceptible this news story is to humorous takes, I worry that this may soon affect honest seamen and others aboard vessels 50 feet long and below. Or is it happening already but it’s not being mentioned because the yacht stories are juicier? This is troubling.

matrix122• 2 years ago

There is a reason they are named Orcinus Orca...

matrix122• 2 years ago

Hard to believe not that long ago that they use to help us hunt whales. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Tom_(orca)

hi-v-rocknroll2• 2 years ago

People who take a yacht in the middle of the unforgiving ocean without a ranged weapon to dissuade pirates or rogue sea life aren't just stupid but a liability since they waste taxpayers' money when they have to be rescued because they chose to be unprepared.

victorbjorklund2• 2 years ago

You get that strait of gibraltar is so small you can see the other side right? So hardly middle of the ocean to sail your boat when you can see land on both sides with your eyes.

How would you prepare against orcas?

hi-v-rocknroll2• 2 years ago

You get that strait of gibraltar [sic] is so small you can see the other side right? So hardly middle of the ocean to sail your boat when you can see land on both sides with your eyes.

Not sure what this was supposed to say, but it appears to be a red herring.

Proactively: Design and build yachts that are more robust to blunt impact.

Situationally: Hunting rifle or speargun.

barfbagginus• 2 years ago

Extra points if we eventually find out that someone is communicating with the whales, putting them up to it with promises of fish : )

Orcas Just Sank Another Yacht

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