20 killer whales attack yacht

A pod of about 20 killer whales targeted a sailboat in southern Spain, marking the second attack in the region in May 2023.

The killer whale attacked the boat for nearly an hour. Photo: SWNS — The killer whale attacked the boat for nearly an hour. Photo: *SWNS*

The accident happened on the afternoon of May 22 at Cape Trafalgar and lasted for nearly an hour, according to Newsweek . "We saw 20 killer whales approaching," Captain Sébastien Destremau told France Bleu radio. "They split into two groups. Eight to 10 of them started a systematic attack on the rudder." Following the recommended procedure, Destremau lowered the sails to stop the boat. However, after 20 minutes, the killer whales did not give up. The 15-ton boat, named The Lancelot, was shaking violently.

Destremau decided to restart the engine. He steered the ship back and forth in line with the orcas, keeping them from getting too close to the rudder. The crew feared this might make them angrier. Taking advantage of the moment when the orcas stopped pushing, Destremau turned sharply and pressed the throttle hard. A few minutes later, the orcas were gone.

The crew on board the yacht were safe and continued their journey. However, a similar attack on May 4 caused more damage, forcing the crew to abandon the Swiss yacht Champagne. The vessel was attacked by three killer whales off the coast of Gibraltar.

Authorities have been reporting multiple reports of encounters with aggressive killer whales off the coast of Iberia since May 2020. However, the incidents have become more frequent, according to a study published in the journal Marine Mammal Science in June 2022. Researchers believe the attacks may have been motivated by a female killer whale seeking revenge by teaching her fellow whales to do the same.

"Of course killer whales do this on purpose. We don't know the source or the motive, but it's a defensive behavior based on injury," said Alfredo López Fernandez, a biologist at the University of Aveiro in Portugal and a representative of the organization.

López Fernandez said the female whale, White Gladis, may have been hit by ships in the past, prompting her to take revenge on any boats as a form of self-defense. Killer whales are highly social creatures, and other members of the whale group may observe this behavior and imitate it. Some experts have speculated that it could also be an unusual form of play. "Coordinated play is common among killer whales, and they are not aware that sinking boats is a danger to human life," said Kerstin Bilgmann, a researcher at Macquarie University in New South Wales, Australia.

An Khang (According to Newsweek )

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