Gladis the avenger
Earlier this month, around six orcas reportedly rammed the hull of a Bavaria 46 cruiser yacht on the Strait of Gibraltar. The ambush lasted around an hour and left a Cambridge couple shocked and confused. Janet Morris, and Stephen Bidwell, were on the yacht when they were alerted with the cry of ‘orcas! “I kept reminding myself we had a 22-ton boat made of steel, but seeing three of them coming at once, quickly and at pace with their fins out of the water was daunting.” “We were sitting ducks,” Janet added. “A clearly larger matriarch was definitely around and was almost supervising,” Stephen said before speculating that it was the notorious ringleader- “White Gladis.” The captain of the ship Greg Blackburn, from Leeds, said he had read reports of the matriarch and knew they were in for a ride. He said he dropped the mainsail to make the boat “as boring as possible.”
Researchers believe the female killer whale called White Gladis is taking revenge on boats by coaching orcas, who have already caused two yachts to sink. Perhaps a vengeful killer whale thought to have been left traumatized by a collision with a boat has taught other orcas to attack vessels around Gibraltar, scientists say. They think a ‘critical moment of agony’ – in which White Gladis may have collided with a vessel or was caught in illegal fishing nets – led to her aggression to boats. With the ringleader showing other killer whales how to ram yachts, sailors may need to fear the prospect of future orca attacks. The group of whales and their gang leader eventually lost interest, after causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage. This is not the first time White Gladis is suspected of causing havoc on the Strait of Gibraltar, the route that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean.
In November last year, a vessel off the coast of Viana do Castelo, Portugal, came under attack from orcas and cracked its hull. A third boat came under attack and was dragged into the water after its rudder was knocked off near the Spanish coast just two days after the attack near Gibraltar. This time, two smaller whales rammed the vessel, copying tactics of a larger orca. The crew was rescued from the damaged boat, but the vessel eventually sank at the port of Barbate. In September 2022, authorities in Spain restricted vessels from sailing from the northwestern tip due to a staggering 29 reported orca attacks.
Sailor scuttlebutt
Why are Orcas smarter than humans?
Because within 3 hours they can train a human to stand at the side of a pool and feed them fish!
Why don’t the Jedi have a navy?
Because sailing is a path to the dockside.
I went to a “Save the Whales” themed costume party as a whale and got chatting to someone dressed as a dolphin. We just clicked.
How do whales prepare for a party?
They orca-nize it.
Did you know that Popeye the Sailor Man seemed feeble against the Swedes and the Norwegians?
He is, however, strong to the Finnish.
May 26th Birthdays
1948 – Stevie Nicks, 1951- Sally Ride, 1991 – Juliana Rose Mauriello, 2000 – Kerry Ingram
1939 – Brent Musberger, 1907 – John Wayne, 1962 – Bob Goldthwaith, 1923 – James Arness\