In an incident captured on video, a sailboat off the southern coast of Spain was severely damaged by killer whales in the early hours of Thursday.

According to the local maritime rescue service, a group of orcas forcefully broke the boat’s rudder and punctured its hull by ramming into it.

The sailboat, named Mustique, was en route to Gibraltar at the time of the incident, Fox News reported.

The boat’s crew, consisting of four individuals, promptly contacted the Spanish authorities for assistance.

A spokesman informed Reuters that a rapid-response vessel and a helicopter equipped with a bilge pump were dispatched to aid the distressed boat, which was sailing under the British flag.

The Mustique was subsequently towed to the port of Barbate to undergo necessary repairs.

This recent attack adds to a series of incidents involving orcas assaulting vessels along the coasts of Spain and Portugal.

Earlier this month, another boat was flooded and left to sink after a similar encounter with these marine creatures.

Written by staff