A pod of killer whales attacked a sailboat off the coast of Spain, damaging the vessel's rudder and prompting the crew to check for leaks. The encounter, which lasted approximately eight minutes, involved three to four orcas that repeatedly struck the boat's steering system.
The Seika Racing sailing crew was returning from a competition near San Vicente when the orcas approached. Crew member Gage Butler, from California, captured video of the incident, noting that the whales swam under the stern of the boat, targeting the rudder. While the crew initially feared significant hull damage, they later confirmed that the boat's hull remained intact and everyone on board escaped unharmed. The primary damage was to the rudder, with approximately half of it torn away.
Butler suggested the whales, which appeared smaller than those he had seen elsewhere, might have been juveniles playing with the boat. He described the experience as both frightening and extraordinary, calling it a "once-in-a-lifetime experience."
This incident is part of a pattern of unusual behavior observed in killer whales off the Iberian Peninsula since 2020. Encounters typically occur near the Strait of Gibraltar, where orcas have been known to ram and bite the rudders of sailboats, sometimes rendering them inoperable. At least five boats have reportedly sunk due to damage sustained during these encounters, including a 49-foot yacht in 2024.
Scientists have proposed several theories for this behavior, including a response to a past injury experienced by a female orca nicknamed White Gladis, or as a form of social play that has become a trend among younger whales. Researchers have noted that while orcas are powerful animals, they rarely pose a direct threat to humans, and the interactions in these cases appear to be focused on the vessels themselves rather than their occupants. The long-term persistence of this behavior remains unpredictable, with some experts suggesting it may eventually fade while others caution that it could reappear in the future.