Orcas Attack 2 Boats Competing in World-Wide Ocean Race; No Damage Sustained
One team in The Ocean Race encountered an unexpected guest around the Strait of Gibraltar on Thursday.
According to ESPN.com, a pod of orcas rammed into Team JAJO's boat. The event's official YouTube page shared video of the incident.
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"This was a scary moment," team skipper Jelmer van Beek said. "Three orcas came straight at us and started hitting the rudders. Impressive to see the orcas, beautiful animals, but also a dangerous moment for us as a team."
Van Beek explained he and his fellow crew members tried to bring the boat to a standstill in order to not provoke the orcas further. They swam away shortly thereafter.
This comes amid a seeming increase in the number of orca attacks, particularly off the coasts of Portugal and Spain. The Strait of Gibraltar is a body of water that separates Spain from Morocco to the south.
The Ocean Race is a regularly occurring yacht race that spans the globe. This year's edition began in Alicante, Spain, and will conclude July 1 in Genoa, Italy.
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