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Whales attack and sink a yacht [1]

['Jason Weisberger']

Date: 2024-05-14

Naive scientists believe the activity could be "playful" behavior.

An unknown number of Orca attacked and sank a yacht in Moroccan waters off the Straight of Gibraltar. Spanish Maritime Rescue Service reports that two passengers reported an emergency after feeling their boat rammed and seeing it had begun to take on water. The boat was abandoned and eventually sank; the passengers were picked up by a passing oil tanker. The whales have not responded to requests for comment.

A sailing yacht has sunk in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar after being rammed by an unknown number of orcas, Spain's maritime rescue services said.

Two people onboard the vessel,Alboran Cognac,were rescued by a passing oil tanker, after the incident at 0900 local time (0800 BST) on Sunday.

It is the latest in a series of orca rammings of vessels around the Strait of Gibraltar over the past four years.

Scientists are unsure about the exact causes of the behaviour, but believe the highly intelligent mammals could be displaying "copycat" or "playful" behaviour.

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