According to the crew, the animals were after the yacht's rudder. This had caused a large leak in the area of the rudder suspension. The bilge pump was unable to cope with the rapidly penetrating water. Their ship sank within a very short time.
It is the first documented incident of this kind in the Baltic Sea. Previously, such attacks were only known from the Iberian Atlantic coast and the Strait of Gibraltar. However, reports and images of orca sightings off the coast of Prerow appeared on social networks. However, scientists had categorised them as "implausible".
Incident had been on the cards
Today's attack on the sailing yacht, on the other hand, now shows that killer whales have indeed travelled far into the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat. This is not entirely surprising. Almost three years ago, the first Orca attacks in the North Sea were publicised, at that time on a fishing boat off North Jutland.
Then in 2023, when suddenly, after decades Shoals of tuna sighted in the Øresund many marine biologists thought it was only a matter of time before killer whales would follow. Tuna are one of the main sources of food for orcas living off the coasts of Europe.
Crew was taken completely by surprise
The crew of the sunken yacht were taken completely by surprise this morning by the attack of the animals. The helmsman had seen the black fins typical of whales in the wake about half an hour before the accident. However, he was not one hundred per cent sure because of the twilight.
"At first I thought they might be marker buoys from fishing nets dancing on the water. In the swell, it was difficult to see them for more than a fraction of a second. You really don't expect to see orcas in this area," said the sailor shortly after his rescue.
"Taking photos like crazy"
The animals then quickly approached. The crew couldn't believe it at first and were even looking forward to the visit from the impressive killer whales. "We pulled out our mobile phone cameras and took photos and videos like crazy," reported the skipper of the yacht. "But then I got a queasy feeling when the first animals dived under our hull. I remembered the reports of the attacks off Spain and Portugal."
A short time later, the boat was shaken by the first jolts. "The rumble went through the whole boat, the mast shook all the way to the top. The helmsman immediately let go of the tiller, which banged wildly from one side to the other several times," the skipper continued. The water in the stern area of the ship literally "bubbled" as several orcas apparently tampered with the rudder blade at the same time.
Water entered the ship via the rudder coker
"We saw large parts of the rudder floating to the surface, all with clear bite marks. And then the water came into the ship via the rudder coker. Everything happened very quickly," continued the skipper.
He was only just able to make an emergency call and have the life raft made ready. "Then the stern sank deep into the water. We all went into the island immediately and were the last to see the mast disappear into the Baltic Sea less than two minutes later."
After an anxious half hour in the life raft - "We were very afraid that the orcas would simply bite into the air-filled rubber rings and then eat us for breakfast" - the crew of four was rescued by a fisherman. He had heard the sailors' distress call. The man also managed to take clear photos of the animals' dorsal fins so that they could be identified and analysed by scientists from the Rostock Environmental Institute.
Baltic Sea orcas related to Iberian population
An initial result is already available: According to these findings, the Baltic Sea orca group of just under a dozen is related in the third degree to the population that has been up to mischief off Spain and Portugal for several years. "It is therefore not surprising that the animals deliberately destroyed the rudder blade of the yacht today," said one of the experts after comparing the photos with those from Spain. "They have copied this from their relatives."
There is now great uncertainty among water sports enthusiasts along the entire Baltic coast. The first boat chandlers in the harbours have already expanded their range of distress signalling equipment. And online sales markets are now increasingly selling so-called "Polish firecrackers" traded. Animal rights activists are therefore alarmed and are calling for the Baltic Sea orcas to be placed under protection immediately.
Expulsions on Prerow pier
The police and public order office had already had to issue bans on the new pier in Prerow at the weekend. Onlookers had tried to attract orcas there by throwing the contents of tuna cans into the water.
The environment ministries of the federal states have not yet commented on the issue. However, it is known from well-informed sources that initial considerations are apparently aimed at offering fishing rewards for fishermen in the region: There are to be up to four-figure rewards for orcas caught alive. The animals will initially be kept in the new harbour basin in Prerow, which will be closed off with a fence for this purpose. Later, the entire group of orcas will be transported back to the Atlantic on a converted tanker.
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