The Mysterious Phenomenon of Orcas Attacking Boats.

Orcas may be teaching each other new ways to strike boats, observers say. Sailors have reported a series of "coordinated" attacks by a group of orcas, including a May 22 strike on a 26-foot vessel sailing off the coast of Cape Spartel, near the Strait of Gibraltar. Scientists said spikes in aggression may have been started by female orca whom scientists have named "White Gladis." According to a study in Biological Conservation, a peer-reviewed journal, "sophisticated learning abilities" have been found to exist in orcas, with imitation found to be particularly significant.