Sailors in the Iberian Peninsula are resorting to heavy metal music in an attempt to prevent orcas from ramming into their boats. However, experts warn that this strategy could have unintended consequences. This comes after a series of incidents this year where orca whales near the Iberian coast began targeting and sinking sailboats. In an effort to deter these marine mammals, some sailors have been playing a heavy metal playlist through underwater speakers. However, one German sailor reported that this method was unsuccessful in his experience.
Andrew Trites, director of the Marine Mammal Research Unit at the University of British Columbia, explained that using loud music to avoid orcas could actually help the whales locate the boats. While initially the loud sounds might mask the signature sounds of sailboats, the orcas would eventually catch on and use the music to more easily find the vessels. Additionally, orcas can hear at higher frequencies than humans, so attempting to cover up the recognizable sounds of sailboats is unlikely to work.
Furthermore, playing loud music underwater, including heavy metal, could contribute to noise pollution in the ocean. This is already a significant issue for marine animals that rely on sound for various purposes such as communication, finding food, and navigating. Noise pollution from human activities, including ships, wind turbines, and mining, is detrimental to marine life. Scientists are still uncertain about how to prevent the Iberian orca population from targeting boats, but there are recommended safety measures for sailors, such as avoiding orcas when spotted, de-powering the boat, and waiting for the orcas to leave the area before sailing again.
In conclusion, while the use of heavy metal music may seem like a solution to the problem of orcas ramming into boats, experts caution against its effectiveness and highlight the potential harm it could cause to marine life through increased noise pollution. Finding a solution to this issue will require collaboration between orca specialists and sailors to experiment with different deterrence methods.
