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Killer whales attack boat

October 25, 2026 · 27 min

Show notes

Martin was sailing from the UK to Greece when a pod of orcas tried to sink his boat. Sounds like a one-off? Think again. Reports of killer whales attacking ships date back to the 6th century. So, after all these centuries, have we finally figured out why?

Featuring:

  • Martin Evans, UK Sailor.
  • Professor Peter Keegan, History and Archaeology at Macquarie University.
  • Dr Rebeca Wellard, Curtin University.
  • Dr Luke Rendell, University of St Andrews, Scotland.
  • Anna Selbmann, University of Iceland.

Production:

  • Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.
  • Petria Ladgrove, Producer.
  • Additional mastering: Hamish Camilleri.

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

All episodes of What The Duck?!

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