Killer whales are 'attacking' sailboats near Europe's coast. Scientists don't know why
In recent years, orcas have been damaging the rudders of pleasure yachts, mostly along the coasts of Portugal and Spain. Scientists and sailors are struggling to understand the encounters.
Ester Kristine Storkson was asleep on her father's small yacht earlier this month, sailing off the coast of France, when she was violently awakened.
Scrambling on deck, she spotted several orcas, or killer whales, surrounding them. The steering wheel swung wildly. At one point, the 37-foot sailboat was pushed through 180 degrees, heading it in the opposite direction.
They were "ramming the boat," Storkson says. "They [hit] us repeatedly ... giving us the impression that it was a coordinated attack."
"I told my dad, 'I'm not thinking clearly, so
