Killer whales sink sailing yacht in Strait of Gibraltar in new attack
- Orcas ram 15-metre sailing yacht, causing it to take on water and eventually sink
- There are theories why orcas engage in intentional targeting of boats in the area
An unknown number of orcas have sunk a sailing yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain’s maritime rescue service said, a new attack in what has become a trend in the past four years.
The vessel Alboran Cognac, which measured 15 metres (49 feet) in length and carried two people, encountered the highly social apex predators, also known as killer whales, at 9am local time on Sunday, the service said on Monday.
The passengers reported feeling sudden blows to the hull and rudder before water started seeping into the ship. After alerting the rescue services, a nearby oil tanker took them on board and transported them to Gibraltar.
The yacht was left adrift and eventually sank.
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Killer whales are ramming sailboats and scientists don’t know why
The incident is the latest example of recurring orca rammings around the Gibraltar Strait that separates Europe from Africa and off the Atlantic coast of Portugal and northwestern Spain.
