Why Killer Whales Can't Be Responsible for Missing Titanic Sub

Rumors have spread on social media that orcas could be responsible for a missing submersible in the North Atlantic Ocean, but experts told Newsweek that it's a false theory and is damaging the animals' reputation.

A submersible equipped with five passengers disappeared after it went on a deep-sea expedition to the RMS Titanic wreck site in the North Atlantic Ocean on Sunday. There has been no communication from the crew members. A rescue mission has been launched, and people are quick to theorize what might be the culprit behind the missing marine vessel.

People inaccurately speculated that perhaps killer whales are behind the missing submersible given the pod of orcas off the Strait of Gibraltar that have sunk three ships, but experts were quick to debunk this theory.

Marine Mammal Research Unit Director Andrew Trites told Newsweek that although orcas do live in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Canada, they don't dive deeper than 100 meters into the ocean. The Titanic is approximately 4,000 meters deep in the ocean.

"There is no way that this population of killer whales could be involved with what's happened to the [submersible]," Trites said.

The accidental sinking of ships because of damage invoked by killer whales is unique to the orca pod off the coast of Spain and Portugal. Trites told Newsweek that the population doesn't interact with other pods, and, therefore, other pods would have to develop the action on their own, which is extremely unlikely.

Submersibles are made of much different material than sailboats. Given the extreme pressure the vessel must endure when diving thousands of meters deep into the ocean, it would be impossible for an animal to damage the exterior enough to sink it, according to Trites. Sailboats are often made out of fiberglass, a fragile material, and are much easier to damage.

Although the theory is an inaccurate one, Trites and other experts worry the ongoing speculation about killer whales' motivation when it comes to damaging marine vessels is harming the reputation of the species and could tragically lead to the deaths of the majestic animals.

Monika Wieland, the Director of the Orca Behavior Institute, told Newsweek that the media coverage on the orcas is "bordering on unhinged" and could result in people becoming afraid of the whales for no reason.

"My concern is for the whales, who outside of the small population near the Strait of Gibraltar, have absolutely no interest in interacting with vessels of any type," she said.

Trites agrees and hopes that people aren't quick to blame orcas for every mystery that happens in the ocean.