False Orca Attack Videos Spark Panic in Northern Morocco

No need to panic! Videos showing an orca in the waters of M’diq attacking bathers and a voice warning them of the danger, widely shared on social media, are false. Relying on the explanations of marine wildlife specialists, Al Akhbar assures "that it is the black dolphin that the locals know as "negro" and which feeds mainly on sardines. Fishermen regularly complain about it as it attacks their nets". This species of dolphin is therefore harmless.

"It does not pose any danger to bathers. On the contrary, this type of dolphin contributes to the preservation of the marine ecosystem. Tourism professionals have therefore been outraged by this kind of rumor that is detrimental to local tourism," reassures the Arabic-language daily, stating that no attacks by large fish on bathers have ever been recorded in the region. "On our Mediterranean coasts, which have a high aquatic activity, no attack by orca or black dolphin against bathers has been recorded." However, it is possible to record rare attacks on humans in certain regions where sharks live in large numbers due to provocation or the presence of blood in the water.