Killer whales sink yacht in Baltic Sea

Not far from the German headland of Cape Arkona, a sailing boat sank March 31 due to massive water ingress. The crew had to climb into the life raft, from which they were rescued a short time later by a fishing boat. The accident was preceded by an attack by killer whales.

According to the crew, the animals were after the yacht’s rudder, which then caused a large leak. The bilge pump was unable to cope with the rapidly penetrating water, with the yacht sinking within a very short time. It is the first documented incident of this kind in the Baltic Sea. Previously, such attacks were only known from the Iberian Atlantic coast and the Strait of Gibraltar. – Full report