A yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar, an area on the Mediterranean Sea located between Spain and Morocco, was capsized on October 31st by a pod of killer whales. The orcas attacked the boat for 45 minutes before it sank. Despite efforts carried out to get the boat to shore, it sank near the Moroccan Port of Tanger Med. Fortunately, all crew on board were able to be rescued and were unharmed. 

This attack marks yet another interaction between humans and killer whales in the Strait of Gibraltar, which has been growing steadily in numbers for the past few years. According to NBC News, “the incidents picked up in the years that followed, with 197 interactions recorded in 2021 and 207 recorded in 2022 [] mainly affected sailboats.” On what happened, Casey Davis, a Sophomore, adds, “I think that it’s really bad because they were just trying to eat and accidentally got to the boat.”

This recent attack is another painful reminder of the effect human activity has on the world around us, and while no one was injured in this case, more precautions should be put in place to prevent future attacks.