Disturbing photos emerge of famous orcas linked to 'dangerous myth' of luxury boat attacks
Members of an orca population falsely accused of attacking luxury boats are now missing. Crews monitoring the welfare of the Iberian orcas as they migrate to the Strait of Gibraltar in search of tuna, told Yahoo News the animals have faced threats of violence since 'dangerous myths' about their behaviour spread around the world.
While the orcas did sink several boats, experts say it's clear the nine-tonne marine mammals are engaging in 'pure play' that's being misinterpreted as 'aggression' due to their size. Sea Shepherd France and the Iberian Orca Guardians Foundation have been coordinating an effort to protect the animals and help boat crews understand the orcas aren't trying to hurt them, and there are simple ways to avoid conflict.
But it's not just intentional harm that's of concern. An accidental boat strike is likely the reason an orca named Atlas was spotted with severe lacerations across her body, and there are concerns for a male named Onyx who has not been seen for weeks after he became entangled in discarded fishing gear. Photos taken of the pair are disturbing, and have prompted a warning more needs to be done to protect them.
Captain Thomas Le Coz from Sea Shepherd France told Yahoo News that Onyx doesn't stick to a single group, so he is harder to track. It's been three weeks since he was last seen, and while he was able to dive and hunt for food, there are concerns about the ongoing damage the rope is doing to his body.
'The fishing gear looked very tight around the skin. It's very unlikely it will come off, so it will cut into the skin. There's been [other] cases, where the fin has been completely cut off because of that,' Le Coz said. 'You never know what's going to happen, so we keep on looking.'
Janek Andre, the co-founder of Iberian Orca Guardians Foundation and founder of WeWhale, told Yahoo he is 'very worried' about what the crews have observed so far, and although Atlas has been healing since the lacerations were observed three weeks ago, it's unclear whether she will survive.
'Animals are continually disappearing and that's what I'm worried about," he said.
He links their maligned status to a string of "bad PR" and false rumours, including the persistent myth that they drive away tuna. This has led to vessels electrocuting them with electric prods known as greensticks.
'We have the whole season in front of us. Illegal tuna fishers are the ones using the greenstick against the orcas to try and scare them away, and that can also lead to death for the animals,' he said.
"We need to change the narrative so people feel proud of the animals, instead of hating them, and that's something we are working very hard on.
"If you deep dive into the history, these animals actually drive the tuna towards the coast, so the local fishermen actually can hunt them. Because otherwise the tuna would follow the normal currents too much out at sea."
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The Foundation and Sea Shepherd France have been working to try and document how many of these genetically distinct orcas seen last season have returned to the Strait. The critically endangered population is smaller in size than other orcas in the region, and numbers fewer than 50 individuals.
Last year, just 20 animals were counted, but more research is required to determine exactly how many Iberian orcas remain. If the population drops to fewer than 15 then there may not be enough mature animals left to prevent the population's extinction.
'There are more individuals missing, but I cannot confirm how many because the season has just started,' Andre said. 'I can give an update on that at the end of August.'
It's not just one species the crews are concerned about, the Strait is one of the most biodiverse areas of continental Europe.
'We have sperm whales, we have pilot whales, we have fin whales, we have a lot of dolphin species, and of course the orcas. And all of them are suffering, mostly because of human interactions. It's kind of a mess,' Andre said.
Le Coz is concerned more whales will be struck by boats and injured as the season continues. 'There is so much traffic. There are all the speed boats with the drug trafficking and people smuggling,' he said.
Andrea warns that 'something needs to change' and more pressure is needed on the Spanish government and European Union to make the Strait more wildlife-friendly.
'We're trying our best. Things are changing slowly, but it might be too late for the animals,' he said.
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