killer whales charge a sailboat for nearly an hour off Spain

The boat is immobilized, surrounded by a dozen orcas. For twenty minutes, they have been attacking the hull of the boat and have just broken the rudder which is the submerged part of the rudder, which worried Sébastien Destremau, former skipper of the Vendée Globe. “It was impressive (…) They were playing with the boat”he points out. Fearing that the boat would sink, he contacted the Spanish coast guard.

Specialists refute any idea of ​​​​aggressiveness

After 55 minutes, the orcas eventually get tired and move away. The meeting took place at Cape Trafalgar about ten kilometers from the coast of Cadiz in southern Spain. Over the past two years, dozens of incidents between killer whales and boats have taken place in this area. However, specialists refute any idea of ​​aggressiveness in animals. “They have nothing against humans, on the other hand, boats are either a source of amusement, (…) or there was an accident, (…) and since that day the killer whales have gone away. take to the boats”explains François Sarano, marine biologist. To date, no fatal attack has taken place in the natural environment.