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Killer whales sink a sailing yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar in a new attack

An unknown number of orcas sank a sailing yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain's maritime rescue service said, a new attack that has become a trend over the past four years.

The Alboran Cognac ship, which was 15 meters (49 feet) long and was carrying two people, encountered the highly social apex predators, also called killer whales, at 9 a.m. local time on Sunday, the service said Monday.

Passengers reported feeling sudden jolts to the hull and rudder before water entered the ship. After emergency services were alerted, a nearby oil tanker took them on board and transported them to Gibraltar.

The yacht remained adrift and eventually sank.

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Killer whales ram sailboats and scientists don't know why

Killer whales ram sailboats and scientists don't know why

The incident is the latest example of recurring Orca ramming attacks around the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Europe from Africa, as well as off the Atlantic coast of Portugal and northwestern Spain.

Experts assume that this is a subpopulation of around 15 individuals called “Gladis”.

According to the research group GTOA, which tracks populations of the Iberian orca subspecies, there have been nearly 700 interactions since orca attacks on ships in the region were first reported in May 2020.

The researchers are not clear about the causes of the behavior. Leading theories suggest that this is a playful manifestation of the mammals' curiosity, a social fad, or the deliberate targeting of things they perceive as competitors to their favorite prey, bluefin tuna.

Although they are known as killer whales, the critically endangered orcas are members of the dolphin family. As adults, they can reach a length of up to eight meters and a weight of up to six tons.

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