The crew of two Ocean Race boats experienced a terrifying episode as they passed through the Strait of Gibraltar when they were approached by a group of killer whales that hit the hull of the boat repeatedly. “It has been terrifying,” acknowledged the crew after passing the bad drink. Fortunately, there were no injuries and the boats were not significantly damaged either.
The incident took place shortly before three o’clock on Thursday, during the seventh and final stage of the Ocean Race that ran through the Atlantic Ocean, west of Gibraltar. An area known for the frequent attacks of these animals on the boats that navigate through this water.
In an impressive video recorded by one of the boats, you can see how a group of several orcas pounced on Team JAJO’s sailboat VO65 and repeatedly hit the boat’s hull and rudders. An incident also experienced by Mirpuri Trifork Racing, which also competes in the Ocean Race.
Moments after suffering the attack, Jelmer van Beek, skipper of Team JAJO, explained how they experienced this horrifying episode: “20 minutes ago some orcas hit us. Three killer whales came right at us and started hitting the rudders.” The team’s reaction to minimizing the damage was instantaneous: “It’s amazing to see the killer whales, they are very beautiful animals, but it has also been a dangerous time for us as a team. We removed the sails and slowed the boat down as quickly as possible and luckily after a few attacks they were gone… It was a scary moment,” he explained.
