Horror in the Mediterranean: Killer whales sink $128,000 yacht in two-hour coordinated attack | Trends

In the Mediterranean Sea, a pod of killer whales attacked and capsized a $128,000 yacht. The crew on board the yacht were surprised by the well-coordinated attack by the orcas, which reportedly lasted about two hours.

The New York Post reported that 59-year-old Robert Powell and his crew noticed killer whales approaching them just 22 hours into their 10-day voyage from Vilamoura, Portugal, to Greece. The orcas, generally considered intelligent and curious, behaved aggressively and violently crashed into the yacht. At around 8 p.m., the five orcas circled the 39-foot sailboat and took turns attacking it.

As I was looking around the boat to see if I could see anything – I was going about 5 to 6 knots – it was hit again. On the second hit, I looked over the stern of the boat and could see the dark shape of a killer whale in the water. They were circling. It was like watching wolves hunt. They took turns – sometimes two would come at once and strike. So obviously pretty scary,” Powell told the New York Post. (Read also: Bloodthirsty orcas brutally attack a whale shark. Watch a rare video)

After about 15 strokes, the sailboat became unmanageable as the group of five orcas first attacked the rudder. Then the orcas split up and began systematically attacking different areas of the outside of the boat, one concentrating on the keel, another on the stern, and the others on other exposed areas.

The crew tried in vain to steer the ship away from the whales, having been surprised by the intensity of the attack. The orcas showed an extraordinary level of hostility, as if they were determined to sink the yacht. Just before the sailboat sank 130 feet into the Mediterranean and disappeared beneath the waves, a Spanish salvage boat intervened and evacuated the crew.