Killer whales sink another boat near Gibraltar in relentless 45-minute attack
Killer whales have sunk yet another boat in southwestern Europe, marking the fourth such incident in the region in the last two years. The latest attack saw a pod of orcas target a yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar for about 45 minutes, Polish cruise company Morskie Mile said in a Facebook post on 31 October. The boat’s operator said the relentless attack focused on the yacht’s steering fin and caused extensive damage and leakage. “Despite attempts to bring the yacht to the port by the captain, crew and rescuers from the SAR (Search and Rescue), port tugs and the Moroccan Navy, the unit sunk near the entrance to the port of Tanger Med,” the company said, while adding that the crew was “safe, unharmed, and sound”. The attack is the latest reported case of killer whales targetting boats in Gibraltar – a phenomenon that has intrigued animal behaviour scientists. Cases of orcas harassing boats passing by in the Strait of Gibraltar, which runs between Spain and Morocco and connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, began being reported in 2020. The strange behaviour has perplexed scientists, with some theorising that the killer whales may be teaching each other to attack boats passing by in the region. Researchers have floated a number of theories to explain the behaviour of the aquatic mammals. These explanations range from food scarcity and the disruptive resumption of post-pandemic nautical activities to playful interactions. There have been documented cases of “play behaviour” among different orca populations as some killer whales in previous studies were shown to “harass” porpoises. Researchers suspect these were likely orchestrated by orcas as a form of social play to bond, communicate or simply for fun among themselves, and that the behaviour would provide benefits such as improved group coordination and teamwork. But scientists have also begun to investigate whether the Gibraltar attacks are linked to past trauma. Whatever the orcas’ motivation, such incidents have highlighted the more widespread concerns of scientists around the impact of human nautical activity on intelligent marine mammals. Read More Killer whales another boat near Gibraltar in relentless 45-minute attack Live exports of livestock to be banned under planned new law Harry and Megan accused of ‘eco-hypocrisy’ for flying to Katy Perry gig Live exports of livestock to be banned under planned new law Harry and Megan accused of ‘eco-hypocrisy’ for flying to Katy Perry gig Met Office predicts more blustery showers after Storm Ciarán flooding
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Ukraine-Russia war – latest: Parents killed and daughter injured after explosions reported on Crimean bridge
Two people were killed and their daughter was seriously injured after multiple reports of explosions on the Crimean Bridge led officials to declare an “emergency situation” in the early hours of Monday. Officials closed roads leading to the Kerch Bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula, which is a major supply artery for Russian troops fighting in Ukraine and a prestige project that was personally opened by President Vladimir Putin. There was no immediate confirmation of an attack on the bridge, but it has been struck at least once previously since Vladimir Putin’s invasion began more than 500 days ago. Preliminary visuals of the lit-up Kerch Bridge on social media appeared to show a portion had been damaged. Russian military bloggers reported two missile strikes on the overpass. The RBC-Ukraine news agency said explosions were heard on the bridge, while Russian officials called it an "emergency" situation. A girl, who was injured in a passenger car, was being treated in intensive care, while her parents were killed, Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region said in a message on the Telegram messaging app. Read More Ukrainian boxer fights through the challenges of war on her way to the Paris Olympics Russia has 'sufficient stockpile' of cluster bombs, says Putin, as Ukraine gets US cluster bombs Yevgeny Prigozhin: Man who led Putin mutiny pictured in pants in tent during exile
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