I don't need to go over the topic headings. I think we've all memorized them. What do you feel like today?
I feel like I can't choose.
Feeling like, okay, I can get behind feeling can't choose. Where is it?
We have such an emotional array here at Journey to the Fringe.
I know. I need to really encompass every emotion that you could...
Yeah, I actually feel like this should be... Oh, what's the name of that psychology book that all the diseases are in?
I feel like this spectrum should be in there so people can just point out their feelings so they can understand when they're talking to the therapist.
Oh, no. This is going to be bad.
It's not supposed to be bad, Chelsea.
It's full. We've done them all and can't choose.
Oh, no. How about feeling undecided?
Are you going to feel disappointed?
You know what? Yeah, let's just go to disappointed. You are right.
After that, sure as disappointing.
Okay, disappoint. Okay, I only have one in feeling disappointed. I think that's new, actually.
Is it weird that feeling disappointed is making me feel curious and slightly upbeat?
It's also going to make you feel something else because this is also feeling like an update.
Just reading the headline right here. Here we go. You're in for a wild ride because it's already causing so many...
There are way too many emotions for this one to be properly categorized.
I don't think it's the fault of the article itself. I think it's the parameters around what's happened so far.
Well, you're going to see and it might even cause more emotions right as soon as I read it right now.
Orcas are still smashing up boats and we finally worked out why.
May 27, 2024. This article is in newatlas.com. Never heard of them. We'll see.
How we need a new atlas?
No, we need an old one. Real old. Like, Pangeo.
I thought like GPS's got rid of atlas. Anyhow.
You never pull out an atlas anymore?
No.
You're driving?
For four years now, Orcas have been ramming and sinking luxury yachts in European waters.
We've had a fun go of keeping track of that.
And scientists have struggled to work out just why these smart social animals had learnt this destructive new trick.
But it's not due to some anti-capitalist eat the rich agenda. Damn it.
Maybe this article's garbage, I don't know.
Nor is it to do with territory and aggression.
The truth is, well, it's child's play.
Following years of research, a team of biologists, government officials and marine industry representatives have released their findings on just why one particular Orkinus Orca group has developed this destructive streak.
And it turns out Orcas, especially the kids and teens, just want to have fun.
The report reveals that a combination of free time, curiosity and natural playfulness has led to young Orcas adopting this trend of boat bumping.
Are these like bumping bears then?
I was just gonna say, it's just kind of like their bumping cars.
Which is not at all surprising for a species that has been known to adopt odd isolated behaviors from time to time.
In recent years, a dramatic recovery in the population of bluefin tuna in the region has been a win for the group of about 40 critically endangered Iberian killer whales that feed exclusively on large fish.
This has meant they've cut down their time spent foraging, leaving space for other hobbies.
I wouldn't consider what Orcas do foraging. Is that not hunting?
I feel like foraging is the wrong word. Are there mushrooms in the deep sea that they're going for?
Treffles.
Can you imagine? I fully expect them to be training like water pigs to sniff out water treffles.
Water treffles, yeah. No, they're the Orcas. They're doing it.
In addition, climate change could be playing a role leading to these tuna being in the Gulf of Catas continuously rather than seasonally.
The scientists noted this year round abundance means there appears to no longer be a need for whales to pursue every fish encountered.
Analyzing data collected from individual Orcas and through observation, the scientists found that the attacks on vessels usually involved a couple of animals at a time from a core group of 15 that have so far been observed messing with boats.
But these attacks are anything but from the Orcas perspective at least. Oh my God, do we get the Orcas opinion?
Finally.
I know this is where the science comes in.
They've been working on that communication technology for a while. We covered it a long time ago on that Fringy Mini.
We did. Oh, I wonder what Twain's been up to. Right, we need to make note of that.
I wonder if they asked Twain about this? I know Twain's not an Orca, but they should ask Twain.
They should. I mean, how else are they going to...
What if Twain is racist against Orcas though?
We gotta know. If he's racist, that's something we need to know about whales.
And whether or not it's important in whale culture.
We need to know so that we have an easier time choosing who our favorite whales are going to be because right now they're the Orcas.
Okay, I'm just kidding. Not those racist blue whales. Is that what Twain?
Yeah, Twain's a blue whale.
Yeah, they're racist. Not my favorite whale.
Most of the 15 were male juveniles and teens in the most curious and exploratory of an Orca population
suggesting that what started as playful head bumping on boat rudders has escalated as the animals have grown larger.
The team notes that this rudder bumping behavior was observed around 2017, but the interactions didn't result in any boat damage.
Now that the Orcas are larger, the game has become a lot more powerful.
And no Orca over the age of 25, when males are fully grown, has been seen participating in the Tom Foolery.
Well, no, that would drive up their insurance premiums too much.
Orcas. I know.
That's when they mature and start to actually care about what their insurance is.
They settle down, they have their mortgage.
Yeah, yeah, have families.
Scientists suspect younger Orcas have seen older siblings playing with their rudder toys and then copied.
Some females have been spotted, but they're most likely there to just babysit the-
Killer whales are known to play with other objects or animals in their environment to the point of damaging them.
It isn't the same with all kids.
In the southern resident killer whale population of Washington, USA, which feed on salmon,
individuals will play with harbor purposes to the point of killing them,
which may be similar escalation of an initially less harmful interaction.
They just play through the harbors.
So this behavior seems on that spectrum.
Don't they just eat them?
Like they're hunting them, or do they play with them?
They can play with them, just so you know, porpoises are dolphins.
Yeah.
That's not like their main food source, as far as I know.
Oh, those are their main playing source.
Yeah, I guess on that population.
For some reason, I've actually been watching quite a bit of whale documentaries.
Yeah.
That's a request of people in my house, mostly narrated by Sigourney Weaver.
Is it the dog?
Of course.
Is the request for something narrated by Sigourney Weaver?
Is it the whales?
It's whales, but I think that's only because that's the only work that can be articulated at this point.
But from what I've learned is they have a very high culture orcas between their different populations.
Yeah.
The very different cultural norms and practices and hunting skills.
I forget where I was going with this, but anyhow, they didn't really bring up anything about porpoises being a main food source.
Mostly man-for-age and food.
I mean, that makes sense.
Yeah, because porpoises are inherently less racist against other porpoises than whales.
That's why they're at the face of Journey to the Fringe.
Whenever you listen to a podcast.
Well, that in their anti-capitalist tendencies.
Yeah, this is why it causes so many...
I think this is far enough to go in the article.
We get the point.
But I'm just going to ignore the fact that it said that they're anti-capitalist and just think that still there's other things they could be playing with,
but they're still trying to sink those yachts.
And most importantly, Chelsea, we did not look into...
For fun.
Yes, exactly.
We did not look into yacht ownership status of the writer of this article,
probably choosing to blame blame outside of his capitalist reporting cells.
Can I comment on this?
I don't want to say because we've talked about inflation and how there's all these things that the rich want to say are causing it.
When really it's just them and their inherent issues that they bring with them.
And you can write it off pretty easily.
And I think that's what they're trying to do with the orcas.
Yeah, there is a comment section, but it won't let me comment.
Are you the owner of a yacht?
So I guess we just assume that yes, it's a biased article.
Yep, biased article.
We just kind of have to know that.
Yeah, they're racist against orcas too.
Just like the, is it written by a blue whale?
A yacht owning blue whale.
Written by Dwayne.
Okay, you guys got 48 hours.
Figure this out for us.
We'll meet you back here.
Probably without an answer because we're recording the second portion of this week's episode now,
but you guys still have to get back to us within 48 hours.
Much appreciated.
Bye.
Thank you.