Killer whales sink 39-feet, $128,000 yacht in harrowing attack in Mediterranean Sea

A pod of killer whales, also known as orcas, attacked and sank a $128,000 yacht in the Mediterranean Sea. Regarded as one of the world's most powerful predators, the orcas launched a coordinated attack on the yacht which lasted almost two hours and left the crew onboard shocked, according to a report in New York Post.

Robert Powell, 59, and his crew were only 22 hours into their 10-day tripfrom Portugal to Greece when the killer whales approached their yacht, named the 'Bonhomme Willam'.

Five orcas began circling the 39-foot yacht around 8:00 pm (local time) on Wednesday (July 24) before launching the coordinated assault.

“To me, they were not playing at all, they knew exactly what they were doing. They knew the weak points of the boat, and they knew how to sink it.Their sole intention was to sink the boat, and that was it," Powell was quoted as saying.

The boat owner said he felt the first hit at the bottom of the vesseland assumed it was a rock. However, the attacks soon intensified and before he could react, the orcas and their assault rendered the ship immobile.

Afterwards, the killer whales separated and each of them started concentrating on their own section of the boat's exterior - including the keel and stern.

“They were circling. It was like watching wolves hunt.They were taking it in turns to come in — sometimes two would come in at the same time and hit it. So obviously pretty terrifying.”

Powell said he tried everything to deter the intruders, including shooting the firecrackers but the deadly pod did not budge. He and his crew were ultimately rescued bya Spanish salvage vessel just before the yacht plunged deep into theMediterranean.

Notably, in May, earlier this year, another pod of orcas sank a 50-foot yacht in Moroccan waters by repeatedly slamming into the vessel. Some studies claim that killer whales target the boats for fun.

How do orcas hunt?

Orcas are the largest of the dolphins, immediately recognisable by their unique black-and-white colouring. They are at the top of the food chain and have a diverse diet - often feasting on fishes, penguins and marine mammals such as sea lions and even whales.

They hunt in deadly pods, family groups of up to 40 individuals. While resident pods tend to prefer fish, transient pods target marine mammals. However, they all use effective, cooperative hunting techniques - resemblingthe behaviour of wolf packs.

They are notorious for grabbing seals sitting on ice shelves as numerous videos have captured them working in tandem and forcing their prey into water before gulping them up.

(With inputs from agencies)