Orcas sink Polish yacht after 45-minute attack, tour company says
Free Willy has targeted humans on the high seas yet again.
This time, a pod of killer whales nearly lived up to their name after brutally sinking a Polish yacht off the coast of Morocco, according to a Facebook post by the tour company Morskie Mile.
The incident occurred on Oct. 31 after a group of orcas attacked the yacht, named the Grazie Mamma II, while it passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, Insider reported.
The marine mammals — which can grow over 30 feet long and weigh upward of 22,000 pounds — had reportedly “hit the steering fin for 45 minutes, causing major damage and leakage.”
Despite attempts to save the vessel, it “sunk near the entrance to the port of Tanger-Med,” per the post.
Thankfully, the crew wasn’t harmed in the attack and is currently enjoying a sojourn in Spain.
The incident marks the latest in an ongoing trend of Shamus scuttling ships off the coast of Morocco and Spain.
While attacks on boats have been documented since 2020, the incidents have increased in both frequency and ferocity with the whales sending several boats to Davy Jones’ locker of late.
It’s unclear why the species — which feeds on fish, seals and other whales — has been targeting humans.
However, scientists speculate that these could be copycat revenge attacks sparked by an incident where an orca matriarch was rammed by the boat — which is eerily similar to the plot of the critically panned 1977 “Jaws” rip-off, “Orca.”
Most frightening is this behavior seems to be passed on generationally, perhaps indicating that, like humans, the species possesses a propensity for vengeance.
Although some scientists postulate that the orcas’ behavior is more playful, akin to when killer whales in the Pacific Northwest were observed wearing salmon on their heads like fish fedoras.
