Our delivery Yacht had a serious interaction with a large pod of Orcas

We were on a yacht delivery from the UK to Greece and approaching the Straits of Gibraltar, where we were headed to refuel and take a nights rest.

About 20-30 miles off the Spanish coast nearing Tarifa, we encountered a large pod of orca’s. For the next two hours or so, we were battered and rammed by these beautiful beasts. There have been a number of interactions with this specific pod over the past year.

Perhaps it is due to the lack of food that they are experiencing. Perhaps they have just had enough with mankind. But they spent their time ramming the rudder over and over. At one point we witnessed one of the Orca’s swimming off with a large chunk of the rudder in its mouth.

It was a humbling experience. One that I would be happy to never go through again, but I am deeply grateful too. It was the most majestic thing to be that close to these apex predators. I will never forget this day.

We managed to limp back to Gibraltar and from the dockside we were able to see the damage to the rudder. I’m grateful that we still had steering and that nobody was injured or the need for a liferaft to be deployed on a sinking boat. All was fine. But the delivery was over. The yacht will need to be assessed and hauled out the water for inspection. I do feel sorry for the owner of the boat who will not have his boat waiting for him in Greece like he had hoped.

From there I flew back to the UK and took a connecting flight out to Greece where I am now, on my own boat, preparing her to go back in the water and sail back to the UK. Don’t think I will be going via the Gibraltar Straits. One orca interaction was more than enough. I hear the French Canals are lovely this time of year.