Climate Change / Wildlife

Orcas Attack Robin Knox-Johnston

ARTICLE COURTESY OF SCUTTLEBUTT SAILING NEWS

Orca Attack, Wildlife stories, Animal attack, Marine Life, Boating History

Robin Knox-Johnson was the first person to perform a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe as a young man. 

On November 24 at 0835 GMT off the Spanish coast of Cape Finisterre (Lat 42 53.6N Long 009 30.3W), a pod of 7-10 Orcas surrounded his Farr 56 sailboat Sanjula and then began to barge into its rudder. 

The orcas butting into the rudder eventually broke a steering connecting rod. The engine was switched off and the boat lay hove-to whilst the emergency steering was rigged. After ten minutes the orcas moved away, no longer finding a hove-to yacht interesting … but that is only an assumption. The boat sailed to Vigo for repairs.

No one can explain these sudden spate of attacks. A yacht was rammed and holed then sank 3-4 weeks ago, and who wants to be in a life raft with large aggressive orcas about.

Orca Attack, Wildlife stories, Animal attack, Marine Life, Boating History

Sir Robin Knox-Johnson is now 83 years old and has been named "Yachtman of the Year" four times.