Franziska Gänsler's Novel "Orca" Fuses Gibraltar Orca Attacks with Climate Activism

Franziska Gänsler's third novel, "Orca," draws on the real phenomenon of orca attacks on sailing yachts in the Strait of Gibraltar, which have occurred regularly since 2020. The novel opens during the coronavirus lockdown and uses the animals' behavior as a narrative springboard, asking implicitly whether the orcas might be taking revenge on humans for destroying their habitat. Gänsler does not pose these questions explicitly; the book avoids didacticism and instead relies on atmosphere and realistic dialogue. In her fictional treatment, the orca phenomenon becomes a story about young women who ally against fossil-fuel billionaires, and about a friendship that risks everything. The spotted killer whales are social animals that operate within family structures, and in pods they deliberately attack sailing yachts, destroying their rudders and terrifying the capsizing crews. The review was published by the German weekly Der Freitag and written by Anna Raab.