Orcas are conducting coordinated attacks on boats off the cost of Spain

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This is the terrifying moment an orca whale circles a high-end yacht before savagely tearing off its rudder - leaving the boat's crew adrift off the coast of Gibraltar.

The vessel, a 48-foot catamaran, was attacked during a delivery voyage, with footage showing the whale biting off part of the boat which is crucial for steering.

The captain of the Bali 4.8, who has experienced orca attacks in the area before, said he noticed the 'unusual motion of the boat' before seeing a pod of four or five orcas emerge.

Czech skipper Daniel Kriz, 61, said: 'My first reaction was: "Please! Not again".'

Dan described the feeling of helplessness when he realized the mighty beasts were homing in on his yacht.

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The captain said he was among the first to have his boat attacked in the bizarre phenomenon back in 2020, when eight orcas surrounded him and pushed the boat for around an hour.

They broke off his rudder then, leaving his boat needing to be towed. Now, he says, the orca attacks have become even more sophisticated.

'The first time we could hear them communicating under the boat. This time they were quiet and didn't take them that long to destroy both rudders.

'Looks like they knew exactly what they are doing. They didn't touch anything else.

'After about 15 minutes they left, and we started motoring in the direction to Barbate.

'Suddenly one big adult Orca started chasing us. In a couple of minutes, she was under the boat and that was when we realized there was still a little piece of fiberglass left and she wanted to finish the job. After that we didn't see them anymore.'

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A British sailor, whose boat was attacked last week, said the scale of the attacks 'is way larger than people have thought'.

Iain Hamilton revealed how killer whales threw his yacht around 'like a rag doll' off the coast of Gibraltar.

The captain, 60, was left marooned in a harbour for a few days after his boat, the Butey of the Clyde, was wrecked with both rudders taken off by a pod of five whales.

He said the orcas staged a 'choreographed' assault on the boat, but he believes they were 'playing with the rudders, and just inadvertently rendering the boat very vulnerable and in a very dangerous situation'.

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Another British sailor, April Boyes, recounted her terror at being surrounded by killer whales who attacked a boat she was delivering from the Azores to Gibraltar last month.

Speaking on This Morning, Ms Boyes, 31, described the scary encounter with orcas, who continuously rammed into the vessel for over an hour off the coast of Spain.

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It emerged last month that a female killer whale nicknamed White Gladis, thought to have been left traumatised by a collision with a boat, may be responsible for a number of the assaults after she taught other orcas to attack vessels.

Scientists believe White Gladis is taking revenge on boats by coaching orcas, who have already caused two yachts to sink.

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