Orcas have been spotted exhibiting ‘disturbing’ behavior near boats, baffling experts (Photo: Getty Images)

Orcas attacked a boat off the coast of Morocco for almost an hour before the yacht finally sank.

The incident is the latest attack after dramatic encounters were reported this year in the seas around Gibraltar, Spain and Portugal.

Polish tour company Morskie Mile said in a Facebook post on October 31 that a group of killer whales had targeted the Grazie Mamma II in the Strait of Gibraltar.

The orcas, which can grow up to 9 meters in length, caused ‘significant damage’ after attacking the boat’s steering fin for ’45 minutes’.

“Despite the best efforts of the captain, crew and rescuers to bring the yacht into port.” [search and rescue]“The unit was sunk by harbor tugs and the Moroccan Navy near the entrance to Tangier Med harbour,” the company said.

“The crew is already safe, unharmed and in Spain.”

The company said the attack lasted about 45 minutes (Photo: Morskie Mile/Facebook)

Killer whales, also known as killer whales, are actually the largest of the dolphin family. They are apex predators that can even kill and devour blue whales.

Although they rarely attack humans, killer whales have rammed dozens of sailboats this year, disrupting shipping or even sinking ships, according to the Atlantic Orca Working Group tracker.

This has almost taken scientists by surprise, who say that while it is not unusual for killer whales to follow and crash into boats, ramming is unusual for them.

Orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar are critically endangered and for years they hunted tuna all day long, causing headaches for local fishmongers.

But researchers say everything started to change in 2020, when local groups began engaging in “disruptive” behavior such as hitting and turning oars.

This has alarmed scientists, who fear the interactions could lead to the orcas being injured at a time when their numbers are already declining in the region.

Orcas sink their boats after a 45-minute attack

The boat sank at the entrance to Tangier-Med, a Moroccan port (Photo: Morskie Mile/Facebook)

They point to many reasons for the bizarre behavior. Trauma from previous battles with boats, fixation on the propellers or just plain boredom.

However, Morskie Mile says even the looming threat of orcas won’t discourage sailors.

“We have sailed with this yacht along the most beautiful locations in Europe and the Atlantic archipelago,” the company said.

“The love of the sea always wins.”

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