A herd of killer whales joined forces to sink a 15m long yacht

A pod of killer whales that attack ships in southwestern Europe sank a large yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar after puncturing its hull.

On May 12, several killer whales ( Orcinus orca ) attacked a 15-meter yacht named Alboran Cognac in the Strait of Gibraltar , a narrow sea between southern Spain and North Africa, separating the Atlantic Ocean. and the Mediterranean Sea. During the attack, which began around 9 a.m. local time, the killer whales repeatedly pushed against the ship's hull and rudder, Live Science reported on May 15.

Killer whales learn to aim at the rudders of boats. (Photo: Dan Kriz).

The yacht's two-man crew had to radio for help and were rescued by a passing tanker. But the ship's hull was severely damaged in the attack and water began pouring in, causing the vehicle to gradually sink. This is the fifth time killer whales have sunk a ship in the past three years. The attack was likely carried out by individuals from the Iberian killer whale population, a pod of about 40 whales living off the coasts of Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Gibraltar that targets ships across the world. their living range from 2020.

Most attacks occur between May and August each year, around the Strait of Gibraltar. However, earlier this year, several killer whales were spotted circling a boat in northern Spain, suggesting they were more widespread and began attacking earlier than usual. As a result, Spanish authorities have had to warn recreational boaters to avoid sailing too far from the coast and not to stop when killer whales approach.

Since the attacks began in 2020, sailors have reported about 700 interactions with killer whales in the area, from swimming around and shoving boats to ramming, punctures and sinking vehicles. . The most recent shipwreck occurred on Halloween last year, in which a pod of killer whales sank a sailboat in the Strait of Gibraltar after nearly an hour of attack. Previously, at least three other boats sank in the area from 2022 to early 2023. However, no one was injured or killed.

During an attack, the most common tactic of killer whales is to destroy or pull off the rudder , making the vehicle uncontrollable. Researchers think this is a behavior they learn from each other. To date, at least 15 individuals have been linked to attacks in the area. But researchers believe that the attack originated from a killer whale named White Gladis who was pregnant and was disturbed by boats. However, they do not yet know exactly what prompted the attacks.