Sailboat sunk by 5 orcas in nighttime attack off coast of Spain, photos show

A sailboat sank after it was rammed by killer whales in the Strait of Gibraltar, officials said. It’s the latest in a string of killer orca-related sinkings in the region.

The incident began on the evening of July 24, when the Bonhomme William, a single-masted boat, was about 2 miles from the coast of Spain, according to a news release from Spanish authorities.

“It was attacked at 8 p.m. by a pod of 5 orcas,” Robert Powell, the captain, wrote on Facebook.

Powell and the two others onboard requested towing assistance from the Spanish Maritime Safety and Rescue Society, noting that the ship’s steering system had been disabled, but that no water had been taken on.

As authorities dispatched a rescue vessel, another call came in from the Bonhomme William, stating that the orcas were still attacking the ship, which was now beginning to leak.

Two flares were then reported in the area, officials said.

Upon reaching the sailboat, rescuers observed that its life raft had been launched. The three individuals, all uninjured, were then transferred onto the rescue vessel.

The Bonhomme William — which had been cleared of its radio beacon and contaminating liquids — then sank in the darkness.

Photos posted by Powell and Spanish authorities show the vessel’s bow completely submerged, with its stern protruding at an angle above the surface.

Powell and the other two rescued individuals were taken to Barbate, a town on the coast of Spain, where they said they did not require further assistance, officials said.

“We were all rescued and are safe now,” Powell told The Times, a British newspaper. “Sadly these [orcas] were not playing. It was a well-orchestrated and organized attack to sink my boat.”

Part of a recurring trend

There have been nearly 700 reported orca rammings on ships off the Iberian Peninsula in the past five years, according to reporting from McClatchy News.

The incidents — which have not resulted in injuries — are believed to have been caused by a small group of around 15 orcas, according to the Times.

Several theories have been put forward to explain the bizarre phenomenon, with multiple experts agreeing that it could be a social, game-like behavior on the part of the orcas.

The behavior could be “encouraged by the recent increased abundance and availability of prey,” according to a recently released International Whaling Commission report.

This story was originally published July 26, 2024 at 12:17 PM with the headline "Sailboat sunk by 5 orcas in nighttime attack off coast of Spain, photos show."