Orcas sink yacht off the coast of Portugal
![Orcas sink yacht off the coast of Portugal](https://www.afloat.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Orcas-sink-yacht-off-Portugal-760x520.jpg)
Daily Mail Online: Seven orcas destroyed a sailing yacht and sank it in 45 minutes, with the terrified crew fleeing for their lives on a life raft near Portugal.
Footage from November 1 shows the orcas circling and bumping the vessel, called Smousse while crew members Elliott, Augustin, Roman and Corentin were on board.
Augustin said that when they heard the boat shaking and a loud noise at the back of the yacht, they realised they were surrounded by orcas.
As the attack continued, the boat eventually began to crack because of the force of the orca’s jaws and the killer whales ripped a hole in the hull of the 40ft boat.
Augustin went to the back of the boat and realised it was fast filling with water and the men had to flee.
The crew members put out a distress call and gathered on the top of the boat as it sank around 14 miles west of the port of Viana do Castelo.
They were all uninjured and rescued by a Swedish boat nearby and a search and rescue team from Viana do Castelo Lifesaving station arrived.