Video: Orca Attacks Dutch Team at Ocean Race.no injuries

On Thursday, three killer whales attacked Dutch sailing team JAJO in the middle of an ocean race. The researchers were able to film a killer whale banging its head against the yacht’s rudder. Luckily, the damage was limited and the crew and killer whales all escaped unscathed.

The killer whales attacked the team just after leaving the Strait of Gibraltar on the Hague to Genoa leg. “First of all, it was impressive to see the killer whales. Beautiful animals. But it was also a dangerous moment for the team. , slowed the boat down. Fortunately, after a few attacks, they left. But it’s a frightening moment,” said JAJO captain Jeron van Beek.

The attack lasted about 15 minutes. The sailors made a noise to frighten them, and the killer whale eventually left. The team said he was second in the Ocean Race when the Orca attacked, but he was fourth when he was able to sail again.

A spokesperson for Ocean Race said: Omlop West As far as they know, both the killer whale and the crew escaped the attack unharmed. “As far as we know, the boat was not damaged either, but you can imagine that we were unable to perform a full check.”

Team JAJO in-flight reporter Brend Schuyl told the station that the team is preparing for a killer whale attack as it is known to occur in the area. “So we were discussing what we would do if that situation happened,” he said. “Everyone was calm and professional. Luckily I had the equipment ready and was able to shoot.”

This is the second collision of the week between a killer whale and a Dutch sailor. Dutch seafarer Wim Rutten said on Wednesday: Volkskrant He said that killer whales had hit his ship several times off the coast of Norway. Rutten and his yacht escaped unscathed.

Killer whales have also attacked sailing vessels around the waterway between Spain and Morocco. It’s still unclear why the killer whales suddenly targeted the fishing boats, but there are several theories, said Jeron Hoekendijk of the Dutch Institute of Oceanography (NIOZ). NU.nl.

According to one story, a killer whale got horrified by a bot off the coast of Spain and taught the young how to target ships. Another possibility is that killer whales attack boats to disturb fishermen. “Both killer whales and fishermen hunt bluefin tuna. There’s tension there,” Hawkendyk said. It is also possible that animals swam into the boat out of curiosity.