Can orcas take down a cruise ship?

Cruise ships are made of steel — orcas can't bite through steel. And they can't affect events on a ship the sides of which are at least fifty feet from the surface of the water to the promenade deck. I suppose they could ram into it, but all that would achieve is a bunch of orcas with head injuries.



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Collisions with vessels can be fatal. When a whale or sea turtle is hit by a ship or another vessel, these gentle creatures are likely to die or suffer a horrific injury. Ship collisions have been identified as a significant human cause of baleen whales (mysticete) mortality [1].

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For cruise ships, avoiding a whales requires that the captain, pilot, or other bridge personnel detect the whale at a sufficiently large enough distance to change course or speed. This often means detecting the whale several kilometers away.

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If you see an orca, Natoli said, you should keep a distance of about 50 to 100 meters (164 to 328 feet) and turn off your engine or, at the very least, slow down. "Try not to approach them from the back or from the front. Stay on their side instead," Natoli told the Khaleej Times.

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Are cruise ships safe? Let's cut right to the chase: Yes, cruise ships are generally safe as long as you use common sense and remember that vessels are not impervious to accidents, illness or people who just don't know how to behave.

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Every year, cargo, cruise, and fishing vessels kill an estimated 20,000 whales.

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