The Atlantic published a story describing killer whales as 'sadistic jerks.' The pro-orca internet was unamused.

• An Atlantic article published Saturday described orcas as "sadistic jerks" in nature. 
• Internet users defended the black-and-white mammals, which have now become revolutionary symbols. 
• This is after a string of boat attacks involving orca whales off the coast of Spain and Portugal.

The internet again defended its newest comrade, the orca, after a piece published in The Atlantic referred to the black-and-white, boat-destroying creatures as "sadistic jerks."

Orcas off the coast of Spain and Portugal, potentially inspired by a female whale named White Gladis, are sinking ships and destroying vessels. Many experts have chalked the behavior up to the orcas being playful, but one scientist argued that the attacks started because White Gladis was traumatized.

This led to thousands online teaming up with the ocean mammals to humorously start a new revolutionary orca uprising based on the idea that orcas are restoring balance to nature.

The Atlantic story — published Saturday in response to the social media craze — argued that orcas did not merit their recent status as eco-socialist heroes because, in the natural world, they're sometimes cruel to other animals (although they've never intentionally harmed a human in the wild).

"But projection and anthropomorphization are only shortcuts to a shallow sympathy," staff writer Jacob Stern wrote. "Orcas really are capable of intense grief; they are also capable of tormenting seal pups as a hobby. They are intelligent, emotionally complex creatures. But they are not us."

The premise of the article has drawn ire from the internet's staunchest orca supporters, with some saying that the article puts the interests of boats over living creatures. At the same time, others called out the irony that a publication named after an ocean taking an anti-ocean stance.

One person pointed out that they were called killer whales for a reason.

"They're not called Best Friend Whales," one person joked on Twitter. "Did a yacht write this?" asked another.

Another suggested that a seal, perhaps a previous victim of an orca whale, was actually behind the article.

Huffpost journalist Philip Lewis joked that the writer would become the orcas' next target.

—philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) June 17, 2023

In a column response, journalist Laura Bassett at Jezebel questioned why the publication would post an anti-whale take at a time when the lives and habitats of these creatures are in danger.

After a recent spike in orca-boat incidents off the southern European coast over the past few months, orca attacks on boats are happening daily and may continue to ramp up.

Orca experts say, however, that this results from them socializing and having fun rather than organizing a revolution.

Stern did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.