Watch: Orcas circle racing yacht because it rounds Strait of Gibraltar
T
his is the heart-stopping second a bunch of killer whales assault a racing yacht because it rounds the Strait of Gibraltar.
The third-placed crew of the Ocean Race’s Team JAJO may solely make loud banging noises on the hull to fend off three orcas who swam beneath their boat and circled it menacingly.
Video footage exhibits the black-and-white whales circling the Dutch yacht, earlier than accelerating in direction of it, ramming into it, and biting the rudders.
No injury or accidents had been reported by the racers.
“This was a scary moment,” Team JAJO skipper Jelmer van Beek mentioned.
“Three orcas came straight at us and started hitting the rudders. Impressive to see the orcas, beautiful animals, but also a dangerous moment for us as a team.
“We took down the sails and slowed down the boat as quickly as possible and luckily after a few attacks they went away.”
The Mirpuri/Trifork Racing group of Portugal additionally reported a run-in with orcas, organisers mentioned, including that there have been no accidents or injury.
Authorities have famous a gradual enhance in interactions between orcas and vessels within the Strait of Gibraltar and Portugal, with greater than 20 incidents in May alone.
In some instances, boats have been considerably broken, at the very least three to the purpose of sinking, organisers mentioned, and the behaviour seems to be spreading amongst totally different killer whale household teams.
Earlier this week, an orca repeatedly rammed right into a yacht within the North Sea off Shetland, within the first such incident in northern waters.