Moment pod of killer whales surround and attack yacht, spinning it 360 degrees and destroying its rudder off Gibraltar

By IMOGEN GARFINKEL - SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 15:51, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 15:59, 29 June 2026 This is the astonishing moment a pod of killer whales surrounded and attacked a yacht, spinning it 360 degrees and destroying its rudder off the coast of Gibraltar. After four weeks sailing from the Bahamas to Spain onboard the vessel, a group of adventurers were swarmed by several Iberian orcas in an incident that lasted three hours. Underwater footage shot by French filmmaker Alex Aimard shows the whales surround the yacht and chew into its rudder, causing the sailors to lose control of the vessel. A video filmed from the deck shows the black and white predators chasing the boat, leaping in and out of the waves at speed. The ship's wheel can be seen spinning out of control as the toothed whales destroy the rudder, with scraps of the vertical blade seen floating on the surface of the water.  'They ripped everything apart, we have no steering anymore,' Jokke Sommer, a Norwegian skydiver, can be heard saying in one of the clips. 'Now we're spinning 360, we're having so much fun,' he added, as the sailors struggle to keep their balance. 'Oh my God, they are huge,' a woman also on the yacht commented, as she watched the whales surround the vessel. This is the astonishing moment a pod of killer whales surrounded and attacked a yacht, spinning it 360 degrees and destroying its rudder off Gibraltar. Credit: Instagram/@satori_factory After four weeks sailing from the Bahamas to Spain onboard the vessel, a group of adventurers were approached by a group of Iberian Orcas. Credit: Instagram/@satori_factory Underwater footage from the three-hour incident show the whales surround the yacht and chew into its rudder, causing the sailors to lose control of the vessel. Credit: Instagram/@jokkesommer The orca is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. Males can be nearly ten metres in length and weigh around 10,000kg. They are highly intelligent and known for being able to coordinate group hunting tactics. Orcas are also extremely fast swimmers, with recorded speeds of up to 34mph.  They were originally given the name 'killer whales' by ancient sailors, who watched them preying on large whales.  Orcas are still hunted today in some countries, such as Greenland. Writing about the experience on Instagram to his 94 thousand followers, Sommer wrote: 'After four weeks of sailing from the Bahamas, we were warmly welcomed back to Europe by the entire pack of the famous Iberian orcas, who are known to sink yachts and destroy their rudder off the coast of Gibraltar. 'It is quite a unique experience and sight, to see such a great amount of orcas come flying through the water in the distance, knowing that your vessel is the only thing they are excited about in that moment. The orca is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family One of the sailors emphasised how none of the crew considered using 'aggressive force' to scare the orcas away, and they even thought about whether to join them in the water 'Before commenting what should have been done, take into consideration that this video is simply a three [minute] carousel from an encounter that lasted a total of three hours.  'What you don’t see is the initial impact that broke the rudder, the mayday calls, the preparation to evacuate in case of water ingress, or the attempt of using the engine to try to stop the orcas from continuing having fun.' He said that the killer whales didn't show any signs of aggression, apart from one moment when the crew switched the engine on.  'The strong impact on the rudder was done by one of the bigger orcas. It’s debatable whether this was done with playful or aggressive energy,' he wrote. 'While the boat was quietly drifting, the orcas were only playful and curious. Some played with the rudder, some made the boat spin around, while the kids had fun with the floating debris.' He emphasised how none of the sailors considered using 'aggressive force' to scare the orcas away, and they even thought about whether to join them in the water. 'Personally I had full trust that things were going to be okay, simply by letting them be curious without adding any stress to the situation.  'We are all adventurous souls who feel comfortable in unordinary situations, as well as seeing reality quite differently than most,' he wrote. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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