A pod of killer whales launched a terrifying eight-minute attack on a sailboat off Spain, tearing away half its rudder and forcing the crew to check for leaks.
Dramatic new video shows the orcas circling the vessel before repeatedly slamming into its steering system beneath the water.
Between three and four whales targeted the boat as it returned from a sailing competition near San Vicente.
The crew initially feared the animals may have damaged the hull and allowed water to pour inside.
Crew member Gage Butler, originally from California, said his adrenaline surged as they inspected the vessel in the aftermath.
‘It was so cool to see how smart these animals are and how they play and hunt as a pod,’ he shared in an Instagram post.
‘But at the same time my adrenaline was pumping while we were investigating the boat to see if we had any leaks in the hull.’
Butler said everyone escaped unharmed and the boat suffered no major damage beyond losing approximately half its rudder.
A pod of killer whales launched a terrifying eight-minute attack on a sailboat off Spain , tearing away half its rudder and forcing the crew to check for leaks
Gage Butler, from California, captured the attack, with footage showing the whales swimming under the boat
Butler and the Seika Racing sailing crew had just completed a regatta and were moving the boat from San Vicente to another marina when the orcas appeared.
Video shared on Instagram shows the animals surfacing beside the vessel while crew members watch from above.
The whales repeatedly swam beneath the stern, where the rudder controls the boat’s direction.
Butler estimated the encounter lasted approximately eight minutes and involved three or four orcas.
Although the animals were powerful enough to break the rudder, Butler believed they may have been young whales treating the vessel like a toy.
‘These Orcas looked smaller than ones I’ve seen at SeaWorld, so I’m pretty sure they were juveniles just playing with the boat, which ended up breaking the rudder,’ he wrote in the Instagram post.
The sailor described the experience as both frightening and extraordinary.
‘Luckily everyone was safe, and there was no major damage to the boat. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.’
Butler said everyone escaped unharmed and the boat suffered no major damage beyond losing approximately half its rudder
Orcas have repeatedly rammed sailboats passing through waters around the Iberian Peninsula since the unusual behavior was first recorded in 2020.
Most encounters have occurred near the Strait of Gibraltar, the narrow stretch of water separating southern Spain from northern Africa.
The animals commonly approach the stern before biting or striking the rudder, sometimes leaving vessels unable to steer.
Several boats have sunk after being badly damaged during encounters with the whales.
In 2024, a pod rammed and sank a 49-foot yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar, marking at least the fifth reported sinking connected to the behavior at that time.
Despite their name, killer whales rarely pose a direct threat to people in the wild.
No fatal attack by a wild orca on a human has ever been documented, and the whales involved in the Iberian incidents appear focused on boats rather than their occupants.
Scientists remain divided over why the behavior began and why it continues to spread between animals.
One widely reported theory centers on a female orca nicknamed White Gladis, which may previously have been injured in a collision or encounter with a boat.
Under that theory, the whale began targeting vessels following the traumatic experience before other members of the pod copied her actions.
However, researchers have not confirmed that the attacks are motivated by revenge.
Another explanation suggests the interactions are a form of play that developed into a temporary social trend among the highly intelligent animals.
Young orcas may have learned that rudders move, resist pressure and eventually break, encouraging them to return to other vessels.
A 2024 report suggested the behavior could eventually disappear in the same way that other short-lived habits have faded among whale populations.
However, its authors warned that the animals remain difficult to predict.
‘Ultimately, this behavior may disappear, as fads have in other populations, but it may also reappear at some point in the future,’ they wrote.
‘These are intelligent, socially complex, innovative wild animals and science cannot predict their behavior with certainty.’
