Two sailors had their voyage cut unexpectedly short when orcas rammed the rudder and hull of their 15-meter (49-foot) yacht off the Atlantic coast of Portugal last weekend. There have been several similar attacks in this region since 2020, and though an official catalyst for the attacks isn’t known, researchers theorize it could be playful curiosity, or potential targeting of what the whales may perceive as competitors for local bluefin tuna, orca’s favorite meal. Maybe orcas have a Kia Boys-style social media trend happening that allows them to realize how easy it is to sink a yacht.
Thankfully this particular attack resulted in no human injuries, as the two sailors on the damaged vessel alerted rescue services and a nearby oil tanker took them aboard and safely delivered them to Gibraltar. Their yacht wasn’t so lucky, as it was left adrift and eventually sank. The passengers reported feeling random bumps to the hull and the rudder followed by water leaking into their boat. CNN reports,
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.
Experts believe them to involve a subpopulation of about 15 individuals given the designation “Gladis.”
According to the research group GTOA, which tracks populations of the Iberian orca sub-species, there have been nearly 700 interactions since orca attacks on ships in the region were first reported in May 2020.
Whatever the motivation, these killer whales have made quite a statement against the yachting community in the region. Orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family, so they can be deviously smart and massively destructive creatures. It seems like these repeated attacks are well-orca-strated, and often involve attacks to ship rudders showing the whales have a rudder-mentary understanding of how to disable a boat. If you’re planning a sailing trip through the Strait of Gibraltar, maybe consider a safer alternative like donating some of your excessive wealth to a charity instead.