Orcas Sank Another Yacht In Nearly Hour-Long Halloween Attack

Orcas attacked a sailing yacht off the coast of Morocco on October 31, causing so much damage that the vessel sank.

The incident was reported by Morskie Mile, a Poland-based sailing tour company. “On October 31, 2023, in the Strait of Gibraltar, in the early afternoon, our yacht was attacked by a pod of orcas,” the company announced in a blog post signed by Morskie Mile captain Lech Lewandowski. The post said the attack lasted for nearly an hour. 

“For 45 minutes, they struck the rudder fin causing major damage and a leak,” Lewandowski’s post stated. “Despite efforts to bring the yacht to port made by the Captain, Crew, and [Search and Rescue] rescuers, as well as with the help of port tugboats and the Moroccan navy, the vessel sank near the entrance to the Tangier Med port. The crew is safe, whole, and healthy now in Spain.”

Orca attacks targeting boats is an ongoing trend all over the world, from the Strait of Gibraltar where the most recent attack took place to U.S. shores. The reason for the attacks is a bit of a mystery; while some research has put forward the theory that the orcas are responding to traumatic experiences with boats, experts previously told Motherboard that the activity is most likely playful—to whales, at least. 

“This yacht represented the very best of maritime sailing to all of us,” Lewandowski’s statement continued. “Lifelong friendships were formed on board. We sailed through the most beautiful places in Europe and the Atlantic archipelagos, trained numerous maritime yacht skippers, discovered beautiful and unknown territories, tasted Mediterranean delicacies, and we sailed, and sailed, and sailed. We will carry very good memories onto Grazie Mamma II. The love for the sea always wins, and the friendships will stay with us.”

The orca attack hasn’t dissuaded the company from planning more tours in the Strait. 

“We are working to ensure that the upcoming trips in the Canary Islands take place as planned on yachts belonging to our friends,” Lewandowski’s post said. “We will be in contact with all our guests in the coming days.”