Featured Image Credit: YouTube/The Ocean Race
Topics: Animals, News, Sport, World News, Travel
Amelia Jones
Topics: Animals, News, Sport, World News, Travel
A pod of orcas have caused chaos for one boat crew during an ocean race as they approached the Strait of Gibraltar on Thursday (22 June).
The 'scary moment' was caught on camera as the three huge mammals began to circle the vessel.
They then advanced and began ramming the vessel and biting its udders, as the Dutch Ocean Race Team JAJO crew frantically attempted to drive them away by banging on the side of the boat.
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One of the 'killer whales' can be seen charging the yacht before diving underwater and shunting it in an incident lasting several minutes.
The Ocean Race sees yachts from around the world racing at various stops every three to four years.
Founded in 1973, the 14th edition set sail from Alicante in Spain on January 15 and is set to finish early this summer.
Skipper Jelmer van Beek described it as a 'scary moment', and the crew can be heard trying to drive the beautiful animals away without harming them or being harmed themselves.
"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," he explained.
"We took down the sails and slowed down the boat as quickly as possible and luckily after a few attacks they went away."
The Portuguese Mirpuri/Trifork Racing team also reported a run-in with orcas.
However, organisers confirmed that there were no injuries or damage to either boat.
Authorities have noted an increase in interactions between orcas and boats - in both the Strait of Gibraltar and Portugal - with more than 20 incidents occurring in May.
Boats have been significantly damaged and at least three sunk organisers claim, and the behaviour appears to be spreading between pods within the orca population.
It's important to note that, despite several interactions between the two species and orcas being apex predators, there are no records of orcas ever hunting and killing humans in the wild.
On 2 May, skipper Greg Blackburn recalled a hair-raising encounter with orcas.
Greg had been sailing on the Bavaria 46 in the Strait of Gibraltar in rough weather when he realised that the boat was being targeted.
Amidst the 10ft rolling waves and 30 knot winds, the whales struck at the boat's rudder with two heavy blows. He told 9News that this was the point they realised 'there was definitely something down there'.