Killer Whale Orcas: UFC's Joe Rogan uncovers the powerful predator's deadly impact on seafarers

Joe Rogan recently weighed in on the recent string of attacks on boats carried out by killer whale orcas. The UFC commentator recently hosted comedian Theo Von on his immensely popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, and the two discussed the impact of these attacks.

Speaking to Von, on episode #1994 of JRE, Rogan stated:

"Have you seen what's going on with orcas?... They started sinking boats and they're teaching each other how to sink boats. Apparently, this boat f**ked up one of these orcas because sometimes what happens is something will go wrong and a propeller will hit. It happens all the time with sharks. It's happened with whales. Propellers will f**k up a dolphin."

Rogan continued:

"It's happening quite a bit off the Iberian Coast. The Iberian orca has taught at least nine other whales to attack and destroy rudders. I just think it's a thing with a particular area where the orcas in that particular area have had problems with people and so they've decided to let them know who the f**k is the boss. They're f**king up people's boats. I'd bring fish. I'd be like, 'I'm not that dude, I'm your friend'."

Check out Joe Rogan's full comments on orcas below:

Check out the full episode below:

Killer whale orcas reportedly began to sink boats in 2020. These attacks have continued through 2023 as scientists and sailors look for an explanation.

What could explain the sudden change of behavior in killer whale orcas discussed by Joe Rogan?

Scientists and sailors remain baffled by the sudden attacks on boats by killer whale orcas. Two possible explanations for the attacks were offered up by AZ Animals, who reported:

"First, a pod of killer whales could have started a trend of attacking boats. Dolphins and whales are prone to creating trends amongst their species. In this case, it’s possible that some young killer whales decided that it would be fun to sink boats off the Iberian Peninsula. As other members of the pod noticed these trendsetters, they may have decided to follow along."

"Perhaps another reason behind the continuous attacks is that these killer whales experienced a prior negative encounter with a boat. To protect themselves from future bad boat encounters, the killer whales may have determined that sinking boats altogether was the best course of action. The true explanation might consist of a combination of both of these reasons."

As long as the driving cause of the attacks remains unclear, researchers will likely remain baffled about how to prevent them. While these attacks have occurred near the Iberian Coast, there is no telling if killer whale orcas will pick up such behavior in different waters.