{"id":11688,"date":"2025-10-05T19:33:55","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T19:33:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/?p=11688"},"modified":"2025-11-22T19:47:37","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T19:47:37","slug":"cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Boat Attacks &#038; Salmon Hats:  Two Orca Whale Behaviors Considered Mysteries.  Here&#8217;s An Acoustic Explanation &#038; Supporting Data"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"11688\" class=\"elementor elementor-11688\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8e7af4e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8e7af4e\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f833270\" data-id=\"f833270\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f55194f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f55194f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Caveat_I_am_not_a_marine_biologist_and_have_no_qualification_authority_or_credibility_on_this_topic_This_is_a_hypothesis_for_contemplation_discussion\" >Caveat: I am not a marine biologist and have no qualification, authority, or credibility on this topic.\u00a0 This is a hypothesis for contemplation \/ discussion.\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#The_Noise_Imperative_Why_Orcas_Are_Sinking_Sailboats\" >The Noise Imperative: Why Orcas Are Sinking Sailboats<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Tldr_The_Core_Argument\" >Tl;dr: The Core Argument<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#History_of_The_Orca_Mysteries\" >History of The Orca Mysteries<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Salmon_Hats_Fashion_Trend_or_Noise-Filtering_%E2%80%9CEarplugs%E2%80%9D\" >Salmon Hats: Fashion Trend or Noise-Filtering &#8220;Earplugs&#8221;?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Local_Dolphins_Attack_Fishing_Gear_to_Increase_Food_Supply\" >Local Dolphins Attack Fishing Gear to Increase Food Supply<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Why_Orca_Whales_Attack_Sailboats_and_Not_Motorboats\" >Why Orca Whales Attack Sailboats and Not Motorboats<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#1_The_Sailboat_Maximum_SBN_Radiator\" >1.\u00a0 The Sailboat (Maximum SBN Radiator)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#2_The_Motorboat_Low_SBN_Radiator\" >2. The Motorboat (Low SBN Radiator)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Factual_Basis%E2%80%A6\" >Factual Basis&#8230;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Orca_Boat_Attack_Triggers_Iberian_Coast_vs_the_Straight\" >Orca Boat Attack Triggers: Iberian Coast vs the Straight<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#The_Strait_of_Gibraltar_Maximum_Acoustic_Stress\" >The Strait of Gibraltar: Maximum Acoustic Stress<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Acoustic_Amplification\" >Acoustic Amplification:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Chronic_Din\" >Chronic Din:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#The_Iberian_Coast_Maximum_Trophic_Reward\" >The Iberian Coast: Maximum Trophic Reward<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Acoustic_Emissions_Directly_Overlap_Critical_Orca_Frequency_Ranges\" >Acoustic Emissions Directly Overlap Critical Orca Frequency Ranges<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Correlation_of_Orca_Attacks_with_Tuna_Presence\" >Correlation of Orca Attacks with Tuna Presence<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Table_2_Orca_Attack_Frequency_Tuna_Presence\" >Table 2: Orca Attack Frequency &amp; Tuna Presence<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Strong_Correlation_of_Attack_Frequency_to_Tuna_Presence\" >Strong Correlation of Attack Frequency to Tuna Presence<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#%22Noisiest%22_Rudders_Attacked_the_Most_But_Data_Not_Normalized_for_Prevalence\" >\"Noisiest\" Rudders Attacked the Most, But Data Not Normalized for Prevalence<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Potential_Preventitive_Measures\" >Potential Preventitive Measures<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Table_2_Potential_Preventitive_Measures\" >Table 2: Potential Preventitive Measures<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Defending_Orca_Attacks_in_Progress\" >Defending Orca Attacks in Progress<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Think_Twice_About_Firecrackers_Other_Loud_Things_During_an_Orca_Attack\" >Think Twice About Firecrackers &amp; Other Loud Things During an Orca Attack<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#What_I_Would_Do_Cut_the_Engine_Play_Recordings_of_Non-Local_Orcas_or_Long-Fin_Pilot_Whales\" >What I Would Do: Cut the Engine &amp; Play Recordings of Non-Local Orcas or Long-Fin Pilot Whales<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#How_This_Could_Go_Wrong\" >How This Could Go Wrong<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-27\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Downloadable_Orca_Long-Fin_Pilot_Whale_Recordings\" >Downloadable Orca &amp; Long-Fin Pilot Whale Recordings<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-28\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Table_3\" >Table 3<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-29\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Sources_Citations\" >Sources \/ Citations<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-30\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/05\/cause-of-orca-boat-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them\/#Links\" >Links<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Caveat_I_am_not_a_marine_biologist_and_have_no_qualification_authority_or_credibility_on_this_topic_This_is_a_hypothesis_for_contemplation_discussion\"><\/span><strong>Caveat<\/strong>: I am not a marine biologist and have no qualification, authority, or credibility on this topic.\u00a0 This is a hypothesis for contemplation \/ discussion.\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-edfd0b3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"edfd0b3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Noise_Imperative_Why_Orcas_Are_Sinking_Sailboats\"><\/span>The Noise Imperative: Why Orcas Are Sinking Sailboats<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ffe6a54 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ffe6a54\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tldr_The_Core_Argument\"><\/span>Tl;dr: The Core Argument<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bf774e9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bf774e9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The attacks are a survival-based behavior to protect food source driven by acoustics (&#8220;Trophic Defense Mechanism&#8221;). The Strait of Gibraltar is an acoustic funnel that traps and amplifies noise. Sailboats generate Structural Borne Noise (SBN), a high intensity acoustic jam that disrupts orca communication and hunting. Orcas destroy the rudder to eliminate this noise source and secure their food supply.\u00a0 Attack frequency has a strong correlation to tuna prevalence.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47cdb04 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"47cdb04\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"History_of_The_Orca_Mysteries\"><\/span>History of The Orca Mysteries<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8b374a7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8b374a7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11701 size-medium alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/screenshot-www_thenewstribune_com-2024_11_29-19_17_01-246x300.png\" alt=\"Orca whales with &#039;salmon hats&#039; on their heads construed as a fashion fad\" width=\"246\" height=\"300\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/screenshot-www_thenewstribune_com-2024_11_29-19_17_01-246x300.png 246w, https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/screenshot-www_thenewstribune_com-2024_11_29-19_17_01-768x937.png 768w, https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/screenshot-www_thenewstribune_com-2024_11_29-19_17_01.png 803w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 246px) 100vw, 246px\" \/>First, it was the &#8216;salmon hats&#8217;.<\/strong> Orcas in the Pacific Northwest (known as Southern Resident Killer Whales) were seen with dead salmon on their heads.\u00a0 Scientists speculated it a &#8220;fashion fad&#8221;, and the media ran with it.<\/p><p><strong>Next, the Iberian Orcas began attacking sailboats<\/strong> in May 2020 off the Iberian Coast \/ in the Straight of Gibraltar (near Spain and Portugal). Scientist speculated the attacks were also a &#8216;fad&#8217;. More than 500 boats have been attacked to date.<\/p><p>I&#8217;m not a marine biologist (my education was molecular biology). I began researching the boat attacks and salmon hats because I was surprised by the &#8220;fad \/ trend&#8221; and &#8220;fashion \/ just playing&#8221; explanations given. More often than not, there&#8217;s a Darwinian explanation, especially when the subject species is critically endangered.<\/p><h3><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11753 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/orcas-attacking-boats-a-fad-300x279.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" width=\"300\" height=\"279\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/orcas-attacking-boats-a-fad-300x279.png 300w, https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/orcas-attacking-boats-a-fad.png 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/h3><hr width=\"85%\" \/><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Salmon_Hats_Fashion_Trend_or_Noise-Filtering_%E2%80%9CEarplugs%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>Salmon Hats: Fashion Trend or Noise-Filtering &#8220;Earplugs&#8221;?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p>The mainstream hypothesis for the salmon hats is that it&#8217;s just a &#8216;fashion trend&#8217; (or &#8216;fad&#8217;), an anthropomorphic explanation with literally zero functional utility.<\/p><p>the &#8220;salmon hats&#8221; were positioned directly about the melon (echolocation)<\/p><figure id=\"attachment_14380\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14380\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-14380\" src=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1760405291258-300x131.png\" alt=\"Orca wearing a &#039;salmon hat&#039;\" width=\"300\" height=\"131\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1760405291258-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1760405291258.png 406w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14380\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Orca wearing a &#8216;salmon hat&#8217;<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>There&#8217;s no data I could find to analyze this behavior, so I assembled a factual basis into a sequence of logic statements to see where it would lead.<\/p><p>Salmon tissue absorbs and scatters sound, especially low-frequency noise.<br \/>By placing the fish over their melon (the organ responsible for echolocation), an orca may be experimenting with a natural noise filter.<br \/>If ship noise is interfering with their echolocation, a salmon hat could act as a dampening shield, helping them focus their sonar signals.<\/p><figure id=\"attachment_11706\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11706\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11706\" src=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/screenshot-docs_google_com-2024_11_29-20_35_232-300x199.png\" alt=\"Orcan melon, echolocation\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/screenshot-docs_google_com-2024_11_29-20_35_232-300x199.png 300w, https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/screenshot-docs_google_com-2024_11_29-20_35_232.png 320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11706\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">the &#8220;salmon hats&#8221; were positioned directly about the melon (echolocation)<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>This behavior might not be widespread because only certain pods are experimenting with this sensory modification technique.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2540f4a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2540f4a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Local_Dolphins_Attack_Fishing_Gear_to_Increase_Food_Supply\"><\/span>Local Dolphins Attack Fishing Gear to Increase Food Supply<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b21acda elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b21acda\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Dolphins and orcas are both cetaceans.<\/p><p>Dolphins in the Mediterranean Sea are reported to frequently interact with, and damage, fishing equipment in order to obtain food\u00a0 (Bearzi 2002, Gonzalvo and Carpentieri 2023, Li Veli et al. 2023).<\/p><p>This behavior demonstrates that cetaceans will deliberately damage human constructs as trophic defense mechanisms.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2475544 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2475544\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Orca_Whales_Attack_Sailboats_and_Not_Motorboats\"><\/span>Why Orca Whales Attack Sailboats and Not Motorboats<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_The_Sailboat_Maximum_SBN_Radiator\"><\/span>1.\u00a0 The Sailboat (Maximum SBN Radiator)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p>Light fiberglass sailboats act like unshielded antennas. Their engines pump out Structural-Borne Noise (0.25\u201320 kHz), the exact band that overlaps and cripples the orcas\u2019 pulsed communication calls.\u00a0<\/p><ul><li><b>Construction:<\/b> Typically lightweight fiberglass\/composite.<\/li><li><b>Acoustic Problem:<\/b> Fiberglass is terrible at dampening vibration. The hull is thin, designed for speed and light weight, not structural rigidity or sound insulation.<\/li><li><b>The Problem:<\/b> The engine&#8217;s vibration travels easily through the thin hull and straight to the unsupported spade rudder, which acts like a massive speaker cone radiating the disruptive SBN into the water. The boat is transformed into a high-intensity acoustic weapon.<\/li><\/ul><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_The_Motorboat_Low_SBN_Radiator\"><\/span>2. The Motorboat (Low SBN Radiator)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><ul><li><strong>Construction<\/strong>: Often features a heavier, stiffer hull (more layers of fiberglass, or sometimes steel\/aluminum) and a different engine configuration.<\/li><li><strong>Acoustic Virtue:<\/strong> Heavier, denser materials and stronger internal supports dampen and absorb the engine&#8217;s vibration before it reaches the rudder. The vessel is far more effective at isolating the engine noise.<\/li><li><strong>The Result<\/strong>: Motorboats are often acoustically quieter in the critical <span class=\"math-inline\"><span class=\"katex\"><span class=\"katex-html\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"base\"><span class=\"mord\"><span class=\"mord mathbf\">0.25<\/span><\/span><span class=\"mord text\"><span class=\"mord\">\u00a0to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"mord\"><span class=\"mord mathbf\">20<\/span><\/span><span class=\"mord text\"><span class=\"mord\">\u00a0kHz<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> frequency range. While they create noise, they don&#8217;t efficiently radiate the specific, continuous, high-intensity SBN spike that jams the orcas&#8217; pulsed calls.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a4e28b1 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a4e28b1\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-154e19b\" data-id=\"154e19b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f58acaf elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f58acaf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Factual_Basis%E2%80%A6\"><\/span><strong>Factual Basis&#8230;<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><ol><li>The Straight of Gibraltar \/ Iberian Coast is the epicenter of orca attacks<\/li><li>The Iberian Orcas&#8217; diet is mainly Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, and the orca&#8217;s migration patterns are synchronized with the tuna&#8217;s through the Strait of Gibraltar \/ Iberian coast \u00a0<\/li><li>Orca Attack frequency correlates with relative number of tuna present<\/li><li>The orca&#8217;s acoustic frequency range (for hunting) is ~0.5 to 100 kHz, with the most vital pulsed calls and whistles being ~1 to 20 kHz<\/li><li>High-frequency vibration and cavitation noise from sailboats (mostly from engine) directly overlaps with the orca&#8217;s range, though even with the engine off there is critical overlap\u00a0<\/li><li>Orcas target rudders of boats in these regions<\/li><li>It is significantly more difficult for orcas to catch tuna in deep water than in shallow water\u00a0<\/li><li>The Straight is a shallow body with a topology that amplifies and traps underwater acoustics<\/li><li>The Strait is a critical chokepoint and a key fishing ground for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna as they travel to and from their Mediterranean spawning grounds.<\/li><li>The Iberian Orca is critically endangered, the most cited causal factor is the collapse of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna population due to decades of overfishing<\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e657413 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e657413\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9fcb54b\" data-id=\"9fcb54b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ba160ac elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ba160ac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Orca_Boat_Attack_Triggers_Iberian_Coast_vs_the_Straight\"><\/span>Orca Boat Attack Triggers: Iberian Coast vs the Straight<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e474f16 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e474f16\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The orca attacks are distributed across two primary zones: the Strait of Gibraltar and the shallower Iberian Coast (Galicia and Portugal). This pattern might be explained by the difference in acoustic properties and hunting efficiency between the two areas.<\/p><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Strait_of_Gibraltar_Maximum_Acoustic_Stress\"><\/span>The Strait of Gibraltar: Maximum Acoustic Stress<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p>The Strait acts as the source of chronic acoustic frustration for the orcas, creating the initial motive for aggression:<\/p><h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Acoustic_Amplification\"><\/span><strong>Acoustic Amplification<\/strong>:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4><p>The Strait&#8217;s bathymetry (seafloor) and narrow land funneling create an Acoustic Waveguide effect. This traps and reflects sound, resulting in a significantly amplified, chronic background noise level.<\/p><h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Chronic_Din\"><\/span><strong>Chronic Din<\/strong>:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4><p>This acoustic geometry, combined with relentless global shipping, generates the region&#8217;s highest measured Sound Pressure Levels (SPLs) in the low-frequency range (<span class=\"math-inline\"><span class=\"katex\"><span class=\"katex-html\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"base\"><span class=\"mord\"><span class=\"mord mathbf\">0.063<\/span><\/span><span class=\"mord text\"><span class=\"mord\">\u00a0to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"mord\"><span class=\"mord mathbf\">0.125<\/span><\/span><span class=\"mord text\"><span class=\"mord\">\u00a0kHz<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>), which induces high physiological stress on the orcas, as cited by the AMIGOS survey.<\/p><ul><li><p><strong>Attack Concentration<\/strong>: The Strait accounts for a smaller portion of the overall attacks (<span class=\"math-inline\"><span class=\"katex\"><span class=\"katex-html\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"base\"><span class=\"mrel\">\u2248<\/span><\/span><span class=\"base\"><span class=\"mord\">25%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>), suggesting it provides the chronic stress but a lower incentive for the learned behavior to take hold.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Iberian_Coast_Maximum_Trophic_Reward\"><\/span>The Iberian Coast: Maximum Trophic Reward<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p>The majority of attacks (<span class=\"math-inline\"><span class=\"katex\"><span class=\"katex-html\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"base\"><span class=\"mrel\">\u2248<\/span><\/span><span class=\"base\"><span class=\"mord\">75%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>) occur along the Iberian Coast because this zone provides the greatest acoustic payoff for the orcas&#8217; behavior, allowing them to maximize the chances of a successful kill:<\/p><ul><li><p><strong>Hunting Value<\/strong>: This area is the major feeding ground for the orcas, full of Bluefin Tuna. Crucially, the continental shelf&#8217;s shallow water (<span class=\"math-inline\"><span class=\"katex\"><span class=\"katex-html\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"base\"><span class=\"mord\"><span class=\"mrel\">\u223c<\/span><span class=\"mord mathbf\">100<\/span><span class=\"mord text\">\u00a0meters<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> average depth) gives the orcas a major physical advantage over the tuna, which cannot deep-dive to escape, making the hunt highly valuable.<\/p><\/li><li><p><strong>Effective Silence<\/strong>: While traffic noise is still present, the shallower depth creates a smaller volume of water. When the orcas successfully immobilize a rudder and the noise source stops, the resulting acoustic silence is more complete, immediate, and effective, creating a stronger acoustic reward that powerfully reinforces the learned behavior.<\/p><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6bc1978 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6bc1978\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Acoustic_Emissions_Directly_Overlap_Critical_Orca_Frequency_Ranges\"><\/span>Acoustic Emissions Directly Overlap Critical Orca Frequency Ranges<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-59adaa8 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"59adaa8\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c1f69f9\" data-id=\"c1f69f9\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6bc9b53 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6bc9b53\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Overlapping acoustic frequency emissions mask and interfere with the vocalizations and echo-location critical to orca hunting (and other activites).\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d249977 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d249977\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-aba9343\" data-id=\"aba9343\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b6f082e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b6f082e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>While sailboats are generally quiet, they produce two types of noise that are highly relevant to the attacks:<\/p><ol><li><strong>\u00a0Rudder\/Propulsion Vibration Noise<\/strong>: This is the most likely trigger. When a sailboat is under engine or moving at high speed, turbulence around the rudder and propeller, and especially any mechanical wear, generates broadband noise that includes frequencies from 250 Hz up to 20 kHz or more.<br \/><strong>Overlap:<\/strong> This range is close to or even overlaps with the low-end of orca echolocation clicks (which start around 25\u00a0kHz). The noise doesn&#8217;t have to be identical to interfere; it just needs to be loud enough to mask the returning echoes the orca needs to pinpoint the tuna.<\/li><li><strong>Cavitation Noise: <\/strong>This is the high-frequency sound of bubbles collapsing, often generated by a propeller spinning fast. It can produce noise in the 10\u00a0kHz to 50\u00a0kHz range.<br \/><strong>Overlap: <\/strong>This range is close to or even overlaps with the low-end of orca echolocation clicks (which start around 25\u00a0kHz). The noise doesn&#8217;t have to be identical to interfere; it just needs to be loud enough to mask the returning echoes the orca needs to pinpoint the tuna.<\/li><\/ol><p><strong>See Sources &amp; Citations at bottom of page<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-44531e4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"44531e4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Correlation_of_Orca_Attacks_with_Tuna_Presence\"><\/span>Correlation of Orca Attacks with Tuna Presence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-564e4d60 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"564e4d60\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5a484671\" data-id=\"5a484671\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-93b729d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"93b729d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Table_2_Orca_Attack_Frequency_Tuna_Presence\"><\/span>Table 2: Orca Attack Frequency &amp; Tuna Presence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d05a531 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d05a531\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>I looked at the frequency of orca attacks for each of the 12 months of the year, over three years (2021-23) and the presence of tuna for that month.\u00a0<\/p><p>I couldn&#8217;t find tuna count data (apparently no one is counting the exact number in any given location at all times) so I used the relative numbers based on migration patterns (as a proxy).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4f078cb ekit-equal-height-disable elementor-widget elementor-widget-elementskit-image-box\" data-id=\"4f078cb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"elementskit-image-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ekit-wid-con\" >\n            <div class=\"elementskit-info-image-box ekit-image-box text-left simple-card\" >\n\n                \n                <div class=\"elementskit-box-header image-box-img-left\">\n\n                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"739\" height=\"451\" src=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/attack-frequency-by-tuna-presence.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-14207\" alt=\"chart showing frequency of orca boat attacks to number of tuna present\" srcset=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/attack-frequency-by-tuna-presence.png 739w, https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/attack-frequency-by-tuna-presence-300x183.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 739px) 100vw, 739px\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">\n                <\/div>\n                \n                <div class=\"elementskit-box-body ekit-image-box-body\">\n                    <div class=\"elementskit-box-content ekit-image-box-body-inner\">\n                                                <h3 class=\"elementskit-info-box-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Strong_Correlation_of_Attack_Frequency_to_Tuna_Presence\"><\/span>\n\n                        Strong Correlation of Attack Frequency to Tuna Presence\n                        \n                    <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n                                                            <div class=\"elementskit-box-style-content\">\n                        Iberian Orca attacks have a Pearson Correlation to the abundance of tuna of +0.94 (very strong positive correlation).\n\nTuna Presence Score (Relative Index, 1\u20133): This scoring system is a methodological construction for quantitative analysis. The score is derived from the established annual migration cycle of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna through the Strait of Gibraltar and along the Iberian Coast, as documented by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and corroborated by local cetacean research groups (e.g., GTOA, Alnilam). The tiers reflect the biological criticality of the hunting season and the corresponding presence of the species.\n\nData Source: Orca Attack Incidents aggregated monthly from Grupo de Trabajo Orca Atl\u00e1ntica (GTOA) Annual Reports (2021, 2022, 2023). Bluefin Tuna Presence Score derived from general scientific consensus on seasonal migration patterns.                    <\/div>\n                                    <\/div>\n\n                            <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n    <\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-07c85d8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"07c85d8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%22Noisiest%22_Rudders_Attacked_the_Most_But_Data_Not_Normalized_for_Prevalence\"><\/span>\"Noisiest\" Rudders Attacked the Most, But Data Not Normalized for Prevalence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84bb470 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"84bb470\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>While it appears the &#8216;noisiest&#8217; rudders have a strong correlation with attack percentages, don&#8217;t read too much into this.\u00a0 The source data was not normalized for prevalence.\u00a0 For example, the spade rudder is both the most attacked and most common type.<\/p><figure id=\"attachment_14290\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14290\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14290 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Correlation-of-Rudder-Type-to-Attack-Percentage2.png\" alt=\"orca whales, orca boat attacks, rudder sound intensity\" width=\"1000\" height=\"600\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Correlation-of-Rudder-Type-to-Attack-Percentage2.png 1000w, https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Correlation-of-Rudder-Type-to-Attack-Percentage2-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Correlation-of-Rudder-Type-to-Attack-Percentage2-768x461.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14290\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Correlation of sailboat rudder acoustic intensity to percentage of orca whale attacks<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theca.org.uk\/orcas\/reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Grupo de Trabajo Orca Atl\u00e1ntica (GTOA) Interaction Survey<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d1940bc elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d1940bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Potential_Preventitive_Measures\"><\/span>Potential Preventitive Measures<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e05f277 elementor-drop-cap-yes elementor-drop-cap-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e05f277\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;drop_cap&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>If this hypothesis is correct, mitigation is about reducing sound emissions.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18ac763 elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"18ac763\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><h2 id=\"tablepress-8-name\" class=\"tablepress-table-name tablepress-table-name-id-8\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Table_2_Potential_Preventitive_Measures\"><\/span>Table 2: Potential Preventitive Measures<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<span id=\"tablepress-8-description\" class=\"tablepress-table-description tablepress-table-description-id-8\">Just a brainstorm.  I'm not the guy to figure this part out...<\/span>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-8\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-8\" aria-labelledby=\"tablepress-8-name\" aria-describedby=\"tablepress-8-description\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Measure<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Goal<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Rudder Dampening<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Stop the rudder from becoming a high-frequency noise radiator.<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Install elastomeric or rubberized coatings or dampeners on the leading and trailing edges of the rudder blade to absorb structural vibration.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Propeller Isolation Mounts<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Decouple engine noise from the hull structure.<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Use highly resilient, specialized engine and propeller shaft mounts to prevent the transfer of low-to-mid-frequency vibration into the hull.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Routine Propeller Maintenance<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Reduce turbulence and imbalance.<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Polish propellers frequently to remove fouling and ensure perfect balance. Even minor chips or fouling increase turbulence, which radiates noise.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Use Low-Vibration Materials<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Design the vessel to be acoustically neutral.<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">For new builds, use materials that inherently dampen vibration in high-stress areas near the steering mechanism.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-8 from cache --><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f4182aa elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f4182aa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Defending_Orca_Attacks_in_Progress\"><\/span>Defending Orca Attacks in Progress <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a37419e elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a37419e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Think_Twice_About_Firecrackers_Other_Loud_Things_During_an_Orca_Attack\"><\/span>Think Twice About Firecrackers &amp; Other Loud Things During an Orca Attack<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f5bc3cf elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f5bc3cf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Sailors have been trying to scare off the whales with firecrackers, going in reverse, and other tactics that increase the noise levels. The data suggests that once an attack starts, whether you turn your engine off or not doesn&#8217;t make a significant difference.<\/p><h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_I_Would_Do_Cut_the_Engine_Play_Recordings_of_Non-Local_Orcas_or_Long-Fin_Pilot_Whales\"><\/span>What I Would Do: Cut the Engine &amp; Play Recordings of Non-Local Orcas or Long-Fin Pilot Whales<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p>If my hypothesis is correct, then the best response could be cutting the engine and distracting the orcas by playing hunting calls of non-local orcas or long-fin pilot whales (download mp3&#8217;s below).\u00a0<\/p><p>Since we know the attacks have a correlation to tuna presence and presumably hunting, playing hunting vocalizations of non-local orcas or long-fin pilot whales would trigger a strong response in a natural setting.\u00a0 The objective is to turn their attention to a larger threat that requires immediate investigation and possibly even retreat.\u00a0 Pilot whales are known to gang up on orcas in this region and chase them out of feeding areas.<\/p><h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_This_Could_Go_Wrong\"><\/span>How This Could Go Wrong<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4><ul><li>Orcas are smart enough that they&#8217;d eventually figure out that the whale calls are not real and they&#8217;d ignore them, or possibly worse &#8211; target the boat for further polluting their soundscape in an attempt to manipulate them.<\/li><li>The orcas don&#8217;t realize the sounds are artificial but do realize the boat is the source and direct defensive \/ attack behavior on the boat.<\/li><\/ul><h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Downloadable_Orca_Long-Fin_Pilot_Whale_Recordings\"><\/span>Downloadable Orca &amp; Long-Fin Pilot Whale Recordings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4><p>Below are some links to audio tracks of orcas and long-fin pilot whales. They&#8217;re not very long and they are not produced for the purpose of defending against an attack, so give serious thought to how you&#8217;d use it.\u00a0 If you&#8217;re reading this and you have the qualifications to provide insight on this idea, please share.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Long_finned_Pilot_Whales_orig.ogg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Long-fin pilot whales vocalizations<\/a> (known to chase orcas in the Straight of Gilbraltar)<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KillerWhaleorcinusOrcaSoundsVocalizations.zip\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Orca vocalizations<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b17e8d5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b17e8d5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h5 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Table_3\"><\/span>Table 3<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c5f0971 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c5f0971\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sources_Citations\"><\/span>Sources \/ Citations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7ac3740 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7ac3740\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Data Source:<\/b> <b>Acoustic Interference Analysis (Synthesis of Bioacoustic Data)<\/b>. Frequency ranges and functional impacts derived from:<\/p><ol start=\"1\"><li><p><b>Chronic Din:<\/b> <b>Perez Tadeo M and O\u2019Brien J (2025).<\/b> <i>Underwater noise levels in the Strait of Gibraltar&#8230; (The AMIGOS Survey).<\/i><\/p><\/li><li><p><b>Orca Communication\/Pulsed Calls:<\/b> General marine mammal bioacoustics literature and proxy data on related cetaceans (e.g., Poupard et al. on pilot whale acoustics).<\/p><\/li><li><p><b>Orca Echolocation:<\/b> General <b>killer whale acoustic biology<\/b> (standard <span class=\"math-inline\"><span class=\"katex\"><span class=\"katex-html\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"base\"><span class=\"mrel\">\u223c<\/span><\/span><span class=\"base\"><span class=\"mord\">25<\/span><span class=\"mord text\"><span class=\"mord\">\u00a0kHz<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> to <span class=\"math-inline\"><span class=\"katex\"><span class=\"katex-html\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"base\"><span class=\"mord\">100<\/span><span class=\"mord text\"><span class=\"mord\">\u00a0kHz<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> range).<\/p><\/li><li><p><b>Sailboat Emissions:<\/b> Engineering and acoustic studies on <b>propeller\/rudder cavitation noise<\/b> (broadband noise and vibration).<\/p><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d837494 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d837494\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Links\"><\/span>Links\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a277cff elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a277cff\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\u00a0<\/p><ol><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/435540734439160\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Orca Attack Reports<\/a> (Facebook Group)<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theca.org.uk\/orcas\/reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cruising Association: Orca Interaction Reports<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c0599e4 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"c0599e4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-dd92d4c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"dd92d4c\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f26d59a\" data-id=\"f26d59a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aec3069 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"aec3069\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/watermark.silverchair.com\/914.pdf?token=AQECAHi208BE49Ooan9kkhW_Ercy7Dm3ZL_9Cf3qfKAc485ysgAAA1gwggNUBgkqhkiG9w0BBwagggNFMIIDQQIBADCCAzoGCSqGSIb3DQEHATAeBglghkgBZQMEAS4wEQQMIg5M1lYd1Bfe85ghAgEQgIIDC2aWIU2bJWDy7dyGQVcYYWWkhtQTjET3mrg-nJ4FvEjVRqpFHg1ZnHRXSLFy-ZBYiDS6seuM6kqbu4RWC7-vF1HCx7ZjhSbOq8JlYdVLj8DgACh7ykokxFoXKN_G0NRMSJbP2d7kO7NXsNX9Ye3ELixblYld77BVJxAd87lFJCbGoxErx8TbYd4aEvsj8W2JEk1uNgDEUYwSHe2GdSlw7P1xWdYvnfm8R3fcR-gaZOu0UiR3KqldJ-ir2R7AFyzj-pFediFaYDsPwudbRKMSoGWgGIYr2qGbLQRMfQEbvFDlT_xLKucXcPhsqmE7bZEhncTgpSAdP-wqdwffqqv_zA8366WNVyZXW2lgEykWH1R9EUKkNAU7QvKa3WNSq4BAi1s089fiUHNPf7PnAkkJy-crEWI34V4iPodw9BLLk0hX1nfiEtEP39pwqCcrqq6FuTX7KziI0QdtBBzjG2xVbUqGntGXm08ertfwZRmCLFiEl4lXYsshoHl3hIOz8V5qib-14TQ4m1yHuATz-YfuTkYFjuz1EKIY1GOGH_bCPDVlNNQgLa-SNQ4PoUWP6Gxf_x2HL3eMjn6aQUTXASV3op7Iq71zy2sr4rcvd-cOwuxGWw036r3CAUGVVASm6ee_2bGDYbuX68HdczV2wvvd7BL2GVdRF52z3vtyrZk3988h9x_-QW1X1isI3mVlUs5KdkeOERHXZkLN_ZhVxRrnc_-P-91TFZuQW9zJQ2u-2Ci8M7VHwwzxxJyVNG5JRdhZYHHeo2wASGz0ftr3iqu0qFvDsr8f22Tzm1l3MzDS98D2E-ILEemQCHa_B7aHfRPB2R0alvDqu-GTCVJpkcV-HFFGWnxEUcSuO4_ILBA1yIfMGDfWFBz39TJr9C_fWHtf8W2EKCnesv2gBtJ85dlRNokTUWAH9R7u3edcKURtM93CTHPUezYk0p5F22Em3EmBWjz9mRDSY1qgDWLEvir8EHl_tkSazMGEjQ9aFRScUWUkY3UdNkaio5lpM0CnYI4U2Er49NxFbJeTs04d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Craig Hordlow<\/a>: Mutation Accumulation in Nuclear, Organelle, and Prokaryotic Transfer RNA Genes\u00a0<\/p>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e07ad6f elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e07ad6f\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e909e59\" data-id=\"e909e59\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-54bcd14 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"54bcd14\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>short link: <a href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/go\/rcas\">https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/go\/rcas<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b7a1720 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b7a1720\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7ae3148\" data-id=\"7ae3148\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c8bee9a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c8bee9a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>Data Source:<\/b> <b>Acoustic Interference Analysis (Synthesis of Bioacoustic Data)<\/b>. Frequency ranges and functional impacts derived from:<\/p><ol start=\"1\"><li><p><b>Chronic Din:<\/b> <b>Perez Tadeo M and O\u2019Brien J (2025).<\/b> <i>Underwater noise levels in the Strait of Gibraltar&#8230; (The AMIGOS Survey).<\/i><\/p><\/li><li><p><b>Orca Communication\/Pulsed Calls:<\/b> General marine mammal bioacoustics literature and proxy data on related cetaceans (e.g., Poupard et al. on pilot whale acoustics).<\/p><\/li><li><p><b>Orca Echolocation:<\/b> General <b>killer whale acoustic biology<\/b> (standard <span class=\"math-inline\"><span class=\"katex\"><span class=\"katex-html\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"base\"><span class=\"mrel\">\u223c<\/span><\/span><span class=\"base\"><span class=\"mord\">25<\/span><span class=\"mord text\"><span class=\"mord\">\u00a0kHz<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> to <span class=\"math-inline\"><span class=\"katex\"><span class=\"katex-html\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"base\"><span class=\"mord\">100<\/span><span class=\"mord text\"><span class=\"mord\">\u00a0kHz<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> range).<\/p><\/li><li><p><b>Sailboat Emissions:<\/b> Engineering and acoustic studies on <b>propeller\/rudder cavitation noise<\/b> (broadband noise and vibration).<\/p><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d910c54 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d910c54\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-97b4c1f\" data-id=\"97b4c1f\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here&#8217;s what I think is really going on.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,13,95,96],"tags":[82,83,84,93,94,97,98],"class_list":["post-11688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-craigs-blog","category-curation","category-science","category-orcas","tag-orca-whales","tag-killer-whales","tag-salmon-hats","tag-orca-boat-attacks","tag-iberian-orcas","tag-orcas","tag-iberian-whales"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/edYAM269.skills_know_orca.022_skills_know_orca_yaw265_special_report_884fe54a_david_smith-630x394-1-600x394.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/edYAM269.skills_know_orca.022_skills_know_orca_yaw265_special_report_884fe54a_david_smith-630x394-1-600x394.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/craig\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11688"}],"version-history":[{"count":253,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14813,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11688\/revisions\/14813"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}