Metal Science: Sailors Experiment With Death Metal Music To Ward Off Orca Attacks

Metal Science: Sailors Experiment With Death Metal Music To Ward Off Orca Attacks

As incidents of killer whales attacking boats in the Strait of Gibraltar persist, some sailors have resorted to using heavy metal music as a deterrent—a tactic that experts caution might not yield the desired results.

Since May 2020, orcas have repeatedly targeted boats along the coasts of Spain and Portugal, specifically attempting to damage their rudders. While there have been no human injuries, at least three boats have been sunk, and numerous others have sustained damage from these assaults.

Experts remain uncertain about the cause of these behaviors but suspect they might have originated from White Gladis, a killer whale potentially traumatized by an injury caused by a boat’s rudder.

Killer whales are known for adopting behaviors within pods, such as in 1987 when a female in Puget Sound initiated the trend of wearing a dead salmon on her head, subsequently observed in other pods.

In response to these incidents, sailors have been sharing tactics to evade what’s being dubbed as the ‘orca uprising,’ including playing loud heavy metal music through underwater speakers as a deterrent. However, experts warn that the effectiveness of this approach remains uncertain.

Florian Rutsch, speaking with the New York Times, shared his use of the curated playlist named ‘Metal for Orcas’ as a method to discourage the killer whales from approaching his catamaran. This suggestion is among several others circulating on platforms like Facebook, Telegram, and other social media channels.

The playlist consists of tracks like “Exceptionally Sadistic” by Monument Of Misanthropy and “The Blood Of Power” by Dying Fetus:

Expressing his concern, Mr. Rutsch mentioned: ‘It is scary. No one knows what works, what doesn’t work.’

The Spanish government explicitly prohibits using underwater sounds to deter orcas, and an orca expert cautions that such actions could produce the opposite outcome.

Explains Andrew Trites, director of the Marine Mammal Research Unit at the University of British Columbia:

‘Initially, the playing of loud sounds underwater might mask the signature sounds of sailboats: But ultimately the whales would catch on and use it to more easily locate vessels playing it.’

He implied that heavy metal might only be effective as a deterrent if played at volumes harmful to the animals, a measure strongly discouraged for sailors to undertake.

Additional actions restricted by the Spanish government in orca encounters involve: disrupting mother-calf pairs, discarding food, beverages, or litter into the sea, or intentionally approaching within 60 meters of an orca.

In an interview with Business Insider, Mr. Trites further remarked: ‘The biggest problem with blasting music underwater of any kind is that it is ultimately just adding more noise pollution to the ocean which can have detrimental effects on other marine life.’

Human activities such as sea traffic, underwater mining, and the construction of offshore wind farms are collectively contributing to increased noise pollution in the oceans. This noise is detrimental to marine animals that heavily rely on their sense of hearing for survival. It hampers their capacity to locate prey and navigate effectively in their environment.

Moreover, these animals are forced to raise their vocal levels to communicate within their groups or seek potential mates amidst the amplified underwater noise.

Comments Monument Of Misanthropy frontman George Wilfinger: “Those familiar with me personally are aware of my stance as a vegan and an advocate for animal rights. With that said, I unequivocally stand with the so-called “killer whales.” It’s evident that humans, rather than these creatures, are the species causing immense and unnecessary harm on this planet. They not only contribute to their own destruction but also inflict significant collateral damage.”