A pod of orcas has sunk another boat in Europe, sending a Polish yacht to the bottom of the Strait of Gibraltar after a 45-minute assault, the boat’s owners claimed on Facebook.
“Yesterday in the Strait of Gibraltar early afternoon our yacht was attacked by a herd of [orcas,]” Morskie Mill, the tourism company that operated the vessel wrote on Facebook. “They hit the steering fin for 45 minutes, causing major damage and leakage. Despite attempts to bring the yacht to the port by the Captain, Crew and Rescuers from the SAR, port tugs and the Moroccan Navy, the unit sunk near the entrance to the port of Tanger Med.” (RELATED: Holy Cow! Check Out This Footage Of Killer Whales Attacking A Yacht During The 2023 Ocean Race!)
The ship’s crew was unharmed and evacuated to Spain, the company announced.
The attack is the fourth time a vessel has been sank by killer whales in the Strait of Gibraltar in the past two years, according to Live Science.
Researchers believe it’s possible the killer whales are being coached to do this by White Gladis, an orca who they believe is taking revenge after suffering trauma either from a fishing vessel or fishing nets, the Telegraph reported.
The apparent adaptation is a striking example of orcas’ remarkable intelligence. Scientists have also recorded their ability to teach each other different techniques, as evidenced in recent incidents of orcas tearing open great white sharks and sucking out their livers, per Live Science.
The new phenomenon has prompted the Spanish Transport Ministry to implement new guidelines for dealing with the beasts, warning boaters that sudden changes in direction or speed in Orcas should prompt immediate departure from their presence, according to the Washington Post.