kealoha sailing yacht

Hoek Design TC 90 Kealoha

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The TC 90 Kealoha the first of a Truly Classic 90 series built by Claasen Jachtbouw in 2008. Even before she was delivered, picked up the 2007 International Superyacht Society’s award for Best Sailing Yacht in the 24-40m category.

In addition to twin cockpits and deckhouses, this deep ocean family cruiser racer has separate quarters forward for two crew. The interior of Kealoha is one of the interiors with the most volume ever designed by Hoek Design in a 90 ft classic hull. She has an aft owners cabin, a full-height engine room, a good lounge area with open plan galley and impressive ensuite guest cabins accomodating a total of 4 to 6 guests.

The layout will work very well for a family boat that can be sailed by her owners, but also with crew when maintaining the yacht and sailing her when chartered.

Specifications

• YACHTS FOR CHARTER
• DESTINATIONS

KEALOHA, YACHT FOR CHARTER

INQUIRE ABOUT KEALOHA

‘Kealoha’ is an 88.58ft  /27m  sail yacht, custom built in 2008 by Claasen Shipyards. Her elegant and classic exterior design is the work of Hoek Design, and she’s a popular choice for your next charter vacation.

Kealoha’s interior layout sleeps up to 6 guests in 3 rooms, including a master suite, She is also capable of carrying up to 3 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience. Timeless styling, beautiful furnishings and sumptuous seating feature throughout to create an elegant and comfortable atmosphere.

You’ll find many leisure and entertainment facilities onboard, making her ideal for entertaining friends and family on your charter vacation. There’s ample space for enjoying an alfresco lunch or dinner on deck, or simply lounging in the sunshine and working on your tan.

Kealoha cruises at a speed of 9 knots, and you’ll take in your breath-taking surroundings from the impressive vantage point, sipping a refreshing drink and soaking up the ambience.

Air conditioning keeps conditions comfortable throughout the cabins, even on the warmest of days or nights.

A portfolio of toys onboard include 1 x Seabob, 2 x Paddleboards, 1 x Water-Ski, Banana, Wake Board, 1 x 2 Person Kayak, Towable Toys, and Snorkelling Equipment, ideal for keeping guests entertained as you sail.

Kealoha Photos & Videos

Kealoha features & pricing.

• AIR CONDITIONING • KAYAKING • PADDLEBOARD • SEABOB • SNORKELING • TOWABLE TOYS • WAKEBOARD • WATER SKI

13.12ft /4m Tender 60 HP Outboard engine

1 x Seabob 2 x Paddleboards 1 x Water-Ski Banana Wake Board 1 x 2 Person Kayak Towable Toys Snorkelling Equipment

CHARTER KEALOHA

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About Kealoha

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About KEALOHA

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specifications

• Length 27.40M (90′-1″)
• Beam 6.02M (20′-3″)
• Builder Claasen Jachtbouw
• Year of build 2008

Tenders & Toys

• 2 Inflatable donuts
• Novurania 430DL with Yamaha 4 stroke 60hp outboard
• Snorkeling gear

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TC 90 Kealoha For Charter

Kealoha is the first of the Truly Classic 90 series and was built by Claasen Shipyards. In addition to twin cockpits and deckhouses, this deep ocean family cruiser racer has separate quarters forward for two crew. We think this is the most interior volume we have ever designed in a 90-foot classic hull, with an aft owners' cabin, a full-height engine room, a good lounge area with open plan galley, and impressive guest cabins. Kealoha broke new ground by being the first yacht of this size to feature double cockpits and double deckhouses. The forward deckhouse is a fabulous spot, with a large dining and saloon area that offers splendid views. This deckhouse arrangement is just one of many ways in which Kealoha has been designed and built for outdoor cruising in warm environments. The layout works very well for a family boat that can be sailed by her owners, with the crew carrying out maintenance on the boat and sailing her when chartered. She sails with two crew with the family and three during charters. Kealoha won the 2007 International Superyacht Design Award in the 24-40 m category.

LOA     27.5 m LWL     19.1 m Beam     6.1 m Draft     3.4 m Sail Area     449 m2 Yard     Claasen Jachtbouw Year     2008

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Truly Classic sailing yacht Kealoha sold

The 27.5 metre Truly Classic sailing yacht Kealoha has been sold with the buyer and seller represented by Pieter van der Weide of Hoek Brokerage .

Kealoha was built by  Claasen Jachtbouw in 2008 and, even before she was delivered, picked up the 2007 International Superyacht Society's award for Best Sailing Yacht in the 24-40m category. This superyacht has been built to Lloyds class and is MCA compliant, accommodating up to eight guests in four cabins.

Her interior layout makes her a perfect family cruising yacht as she was designed following a Mediterranean concept. Kealoha features a double deckhouse and double cockpit layout, enabling a full beam aft owner's cabin, two guest cabins and separate twin crew berth.

The al fresco dining areas are extensive; the central cockpit is the social heart of the vessel while the aft cockpit is designed for all sailing functions. Under power, a 250hp Lugger diesel engine gives her a cruising speed of 9 knots topping out at 10 knots.

Kealoha was asking €3,400,000.

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KEALOHA Interior & Exterior Photos

27.4m  /  89'11   claasen shipyards   2008.

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Check-in at the Ala Wai Boat Harbor

After departing from the harbor, take in the incredible views as the sun makes it way beyond the reef and colors the twilight sky. Once the captain moors offshore from Waikiki, you can swim and relax in the warm Hawaiian waters before continuing your sunset sail in comfort aboard the Island Magic.

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• Across from Prince Waikiki Hotel on Holomoana Street

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• Parking is limited, please arrive early. Parking is available at nearby parking garages and metered parking at the Harbor. Parking facilities are not owned and operated by Pink Sails and are subject to change without notice. 1) Marina Parking Garage 2) Ala Wai Boat Harbor Diamond Head Lot 3) Ala Moana Blvd. Garage

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Amazing time, wish I brought a mask, snorkel and an underwater camera! Would definitely go back. I loved swimming in the ocean

Captain Alexio and Jesse were fantastic. They were very welcoming and made the rounds with people on the boat to give a personalized touch. Jesse was attentive to the folks that were in the water during the swim portion ... of the evening. I will definitely ride with them again the next time I’m in Hawaii.

A Great Crew And Great Sunset

The guys who led our sunset were great. They supported everyone with warm vibes and clear communication on how to act on the vessel. Swim time and the sunset were truly mesmerizing moments, we even a honu in the near dis ... tance! I enjoyed the mix of talking and also providing space for us all to just be with nature and the evening. It was our captains first trip, and he did great too (I think Alonsio!). My parents were celebrating they 37th anniversary and they cheered up the whole group over it, which made them feel so seen and heard : ) Mahalo nui loa. Highly recommend.

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This New Yacht Is Sailing to Gorgeous, Lesser-known Ports in the Caribbean Sea — and I Was on Board With 'Below Deck's' Chef Ben

E merald Cruises' new Emerald Sakara ship brings guests to smaller ports in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, with an onboard marina and the occasional Bravo-lebrity.

With a couple dozen guests looking on, chef Ben Robinson was showing how to slice and dice a fresh red snapper. “You kind of feel him — but you don’t fondle him,” said Robinson, the fan favorite from the Bravo reality show Below Deck, who’s always ready with a quip. As he pulled a perfect filet off the bone, he explained how to salt the fish and that there’s no more important relationship than the one you have with your fishmonger. “My advice is to always be friendly,” he noted. “I like to support my mom-and-pop [businesses]. If you become familiar with them, they’ll say, ‘Hey, I got this in this morning.’”

The cooking demo, which also featured a ceviche how-to and tips on knife sharpening, was one of many “Chef Ben” moments on my trip aboard Emerald Sakara . It’s the newest 100-passenger vessel from Emerald Cruises, which launched in the fall of 2023, a sibling vessel to the Emerald Azzurra .

During an eight-day voyage in March from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, the reality personality was definitely one of the star attractions. Robinson spent several evenings in the galley, creating special dishes such as a panko-crusted veal striploin stuffed with pesto.

He also hosted a well-attended Q&A about his life in the kitchen — and spent plenty of time connecting with fans, many of whom booked the trip specifically to chop it up with Below Deck alum.

“We definitely booked because of Ben,” said Shannon Welnel , a Montana-based travel advisor who had lots of praise for his cuisine — and the yacht-like atmosphere on board the 100-passenger ship. Other guests I spoke with admitted they hadn’t seen much Below Deck, but were intrigued by the chance to chill with a Bravo-lebrity.

Emerald Sakara

• With a max of just 100 passengers, Emerald Sakara feels at times like a private yacht, with no lines and no crowds, and outstanding service from a highly experienced crew.
• Minimalist rooms recall the stripped down aesthetic of Miami Beach or Mykonos, Greece, with pops of color from Missoni Home accents and a sleek-yet-functional bathroom with plenty of storage space.
• While this small ship has but one restaurant and one poolside cafe, there’s plenty of choice when it comes to meals, whether you’re hitting the breakfast or lunch buffet or choosing from the dinner menu.
• The onboard marina, which is open in favorable weather conditions, offers watersports and swimming off the stern of the ship.
• Easy to understand and mostly inclusive pricing covers meals, beverages at mealtime, many tours, and surprisingly speedy Wi-Fi.

The intimate-ship vibe was also one reason the chef wanted to hop aboard. “This definitely has more of a yacht vibe than any other [ship] I've been on,” Robinson told me one afternoon. “A hundred passengers is not a lot,” he said. “I've been on boats with 2,500 passengers, and you really do feel like you're anonymous. But here, the service is great, and you really are treated as an individual and someone important. And you kind of lose that on the big boats.”

While Robinson doesn’t have immediate plans to join another Emerald cruise, he told me that there were plenty of parallels between his life on megayachts and what the Sakara offers its guests. “It’s been incredible,” he said.

I had to agree. The Sakara certainly has much to offer, both in spite of its smaller size and because of it. While it’s available to book by the cabin, like any cruise ship, it still manages to feel at times like a private yacht, particularly when it sails to less-commonly visited ports such as Culebra, on Puerto Rico, or St. Bart’s. In the latter, we dropped anchor near Eric Schmidt’s yacht, Whisper , and had the whole day to explore the glitzy island and its capital, Gustavia. (After a drive around in the morning, I managed to catch the beautiful sunset from the lovely little Shell Beach, right in town.)

“The benefit of being on a small cruise ship like this one is that we can enter small ports and areas where others can’t,” said Robert Kuznin, the captain of Sakara , who previously worked with several cruise lines, including Paul Gauguin, Seabourn, and Virgin Voyages. “For example, when we dropped anchor in Esperanza Bay,” he explained about our stop at the island of Vieques, “there were only two meters under the keel — and that was the shallowest I’ve ever been!”

The ability to go places that larger ships can’t was also on display one morning on St. Kitts, one of the final stops of my trip. It was still early in the morning, but already four mega-ships were docked in Basseterre, the island’s capital. Instead of tying up next to them on the busy cruise pier, we dropped anchor just off the beach in South Friar’s Bay, a long sweep of sand in the island’s southern reaches. There were no crowds to contend with, no paperwork hassles, no touts offering dodgy cab rides. A five-minute tender ride to the beach was all it took to meet our local guide. Time from leaving the breakfast buffet to our first stop? About 25 minutes. Even the most efficient mega-ship would struggle to make that happen — and they can’t drop anchor right off the one of the best beaches on the island. 

Other moments aboard Sakara felt like something out of Below Deck . One afternoon, I made my way to the yacht’s marina, a platform at the stern stocked with lounge chairs, refreshments, and water toys such as a floating trampoline and inflatable sea kayaks. I jumped off the stern into the Caribbean and then tried out the ship’s Seabob, a floating gadget that’s like a cross between a Jet Ski and an electric scooter.

As I continued my joy ride, I could see another vessel anchored just north of us. Turns out, it was David Geffen’s private yacht , Rising Sun . Of course, we were there first.

Here’s a closer look at all the amenities of the Emerald Sakara , which sails seasonally in coastal waters in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean Sea.

The Staterooms

Welcome to your starship: the stripped down, white-and-gray cabins on Sakara feel sci-fi chic, particularly when the accent lighting is switched on. They’re also, thankfully, spacious and super functional, with ample storage space (including a safe), a small minibar, a coffee station, and a clever headboard built-in that’s a great spot for your charging devices and water bottle. Most of the 50 rooms and suites have verandas; ocean-view staterooms are the exception. Bathrooms are just big enough, with plenty of storage, and are stocked with Espa products and a hair dryer. My cabin, 421, was a 300-square-foot balcony suite toward the aft of the ship on deck four: I never once heard noise from the surrounding cabins or in the hallway, though I did occasionally notice sounds and vibrations from the vessel, something that is common on even the largest of ships. A note on power plugs: my stateroom had U.S.-style outlets throughout as well as USB-A charging ports on either side of the bed, a nice touch.

Bars and Restaurants

Because Sakara is smaller than most cruise ships, it can’t compete on sheer volume of bars and restaurants. Still, the food on board is solid. La Cucina is the only true dining room, with both indoor and outdoor seating; it has somewhat limited hours compared to the round-the-clock dining options on bigger vessels. That being said, I certainly didn’t go hungry: a breakfast buffet is complemented by traditional à la minute options such as omelets and pancakes; lunch is also buffet style with a carving station. Dinner is more restaurant style, with options from an ever-changing daily menu plus always available classics such as Caesar salad, shrimp cocktail, grilled salmon, and spaghetti bolognese on offer. (Many dietary restrictions and preferences can be accommodated.)

On my voyage, chef Robinson put together several special plates, including what might’ve been the best dish of the week: a sesame-crusted seared yellowfin tuna with celeriac puree. The Below Deck star also put together a panko veal striploin roulade one night and, another evening, offered a citrus-cured hamachi with, in a touch of molecular gastronomy, “mango spheres.” Elsewhere on board, a poolside cafe, Aqua Café, has quick bites like burgers and flatbreads, as well as sweets and coffee pulled from a Cimbali espresso machine. The cocktails served in the Amici Lounge and the Sky Bar were consistently excellent, mixed by a talented team of pros who’ve previously worked on Seabourn ships and in some of Dubai’s top hotels. One weaker spot was the selection of wine on board: pours at mealtimes are included, but they didn’t rock my boat. A short list of “chairman’s wines,” available at extra cost, included a couple by-the-bottle finds such as 2013 vintage Cristal ($650) and some mid-tier Bordeaux and Burgundy options.

Where Emerald Sakara Sails

Though small, this ship isn’t an expedition yacht. Rather, it’s specifically designed for warm-weather coastal cruising, meaning it spends the lion’s share of its time in places such as the Caribbean and, in the Northern Hemisphere’s summer months, the Mediterranean. My trip aboard was spent entirely in the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, where passages between ports were short and the seas were often calm. (We did occasionally encounter some swells of up to two meters, or 6.6 feet. I saw many guests wearing medicated patches to prevent motion sickness throughout the trip.) Sakara typically spends a season of several months in a given region, with a variety of cruise lengths offered, ranging from six to 24 days. In 2024, the ship will spend April through November in the Mediterranean. Sakara will return to the Caribbean at the end of the year, through April 2025.

Shore Excursions

Tours off the ship were a strong suit for Emerald, at least on my voyage. Most stops offered a variety of activities, ranging from a simple transfer to a nearby beach to a full-on, multi-hour tour. Usually, I found myself ashore with a very small group of folks — fewer than a dozen — and all the guides Emerald arranged were true pros. Passengers raved about a kayak paddle through the bioluminescent bay on Vieques, something I sadly didn’t try myself. I did, however, enjoy a short guided hike on the island of St. John, to the pristine beach along Salomon Bay, which was all but deserted. The organization of excursions felt flawless to me, thanks no doubt to the crew and shore excursion manager, Pilar Atencio. Worth a mention, too, were Atencio’s detailed briefings on what to expect each day. While these sorts of “port talks'' are common on ships of all sizes, they felt particularly useful on Sakara because of how intimate our groups were; many passengers made a point of attending the pre-dinner talks every night, for info on what to expect about our anchorage, historical background on each island, and detailed info about what each tour offering would entail.

Amenities and Entertainment

Call it small but mighty: Sakara has all the essentials, which is a bit of feat for a ship this size. A cozy spa has wellness and beauty treatments, as well as a small hairstyling and facial studio; morning yoga and stretching are available on deck. The fitness center, with a few cardio machines, a Peloton bike, and a variety of weights and other gear gets the job done. The smallish pool and a top-deck whirlpool were lovely — though I spent most of my time in the ocean: the Sakara ’s marina deck is a key feature, and it was open several afternoons during my trip. It’s like the greatest pool party you’ve ever been to, complete with piña coladas, sea kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and a trampoline, right off the stern of the ship. It is, truly, as much fun as it sounds like, though it is subject to the whims of weather and ocean currents. Also available in some destinations are e-bikes from Gocycle, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis; during my trip, several guests gave them a spin on the island of Vieques. Sakara also carries a ton of snorkeling gear and beach towels, which passengers can borrow whenever they like. In terms of performances, this isn’t the vessel for Broadway-style shows, but guitarist Jamie Ferguson and voyage director Nathalie Millet added plenty of live music to the trip.

Family-friendly Offerings

The youngest passengers I spoke with on my cruise were in their 20s — and they were traveling with their parents. Sakara is perhaps the perfect ship for families traveling with adult children, since it offers such a diverse array of activities to suit different tastes and activity levels, while visiting intriguing destinations. The ship is also intimate enough that everybody can gather easily for meals — or a swim off the stern — without fighting the crowds common on larger vessels. On the other hand, Sakara is probably not the best choice for families with younger children: there’s no kid-specific programming, and you’re likely to be the only ones aboard with little ones. “Emerald Cruises yachts are recommended for people aged 12 and up, and they must be accompanied by and share a cabin with an adult aged 18 or [older],” a spokesperson shared with T+L.

Accessibility

Sakara is probably best described as somewhat accessible: the ship has elevators to all decks and the crew was, on my trip, very accommodating to those with mobility challenges. There are handrails throughout, and bathrooms feature shower grab bars. That being said, several areas of the ship — the outdoor dining terrace, for example — require navigating at least one step even once you’ve reached the deck in question by elevator. “Due to the nature and size of the ships, wheelchairs and scooters are not allowed to be used on board,” a spokesperson told T+L. When the ship is at anchor, it’s only possible to go ashore by tender or Zodiac, both of which could be challenging for those with limited mobility. As Emerald’s FAQ explains: “Guests with limited mobility will require help from a companion, since the crew is limited.” Also of note: many announcements are made only by loudspeaker with no hearing-impaired alternative.

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Killer whales attack and sink sailing yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar — again

By Emily Mae Czachor

Updated on: May 14, 2024 / 4:54 PM EDT / CBS News

A sailing yacht sunk in the Strait of Gibraltar on Sunday after an unknown number of orcas  slammed into the vessel with two people on board and caused a water leak, officials said. Both crew members were rescued by a passing oil tanker, said Spain's maritime rescue service, marking the latest killer whale attack on a boat in what has become a pattern in recent years.

The incident happened at around 9 a.m. local time in the narrow strait between Spain and Morocco that has become a notorious site of human interactions with pods of killer whales that, for reasons still not fully understood, ram into boats and at times even sink them . In this case, crew members on board the SV Alboran Cognac yacht put out an emergency call for an evacuation after they encountered orcas roughly 14 miles off the coast of Cape Spartel. 

The crew members reported feeling blows to the hull of the vessel and rudder, which was damaged by the whales, the rescue service said. The agency's coordination center in Tarifa, on the Spanish side of the Strait of Gibraltar, helped arrange for their evacuation via the tanker MT Lascaux. The tanker was able to collect the crew members from the sinking yacht within the hour, and they disembarked in Gibraltar before 10:30 a.m. They abandoned the SV Alboran Cognac, which proceeded to completely disappear into the ocean.

Anyone sailing through waters from the Gulf of Cádiz in southern Spain and the Strait of Gibraltar, either in a larger motorized vessel or a personal sailing boat, is advised to avoid certain areas that the maritime rescue service marks as potentially dangerous spots for orca interactions. The greatest threats exist between May and August, when officials say that pods of killer whales are most commonly seen in those parts of the Atlantic. 

But previously recorded incidents suggest those dangers may be present at any time. Last October, a Polish boat touring company reported that a pod of orcas had managed to sink one of its yachts after repeatedly slamming into the steering fin for 45 minutes, causing it to leak. Last June, two sailing teams competing in an international race around the world reported frightening scenarios in which multiple orcas rammed into or pushed up against their boats or as they sailed west of Gibraltar. 

No one on board any of the vessels was hurt in those encounters, but the documented rise in confrontational behavior has researchers and sailors trying to determine why orcase have attempted to sink or capsize so many boats off the coasts of Spain and Portugal. 

Some sailors have even resorted to blasting thrash metal music in a bid to deter the apex predators.

Reports of orcas interacting with humans have more than tripled in the last two years or so, according to the research group GTOA, which has documented hundreds of such incidents in the region since 2020. But some of the latest data points to possible changes in the orcas' etiquette, with the group reporting only 26 interactions in the Strait of Gibraltar and Bay of Biscay areas between January and May of this year. That number is 65% lower than the number of interactions recorded in the region over the same months last year, and 40% lower than the average number of interactions recorded in the same months between 2021 and 2023, according to GTOA.

• Boat Accident

Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing on crime and extreme weather. Emily Mae has previously written for outlets including the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

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Orcas have attacked and sunk another boat in Europe — and experts warn there could be more attacks soon

A group of orcas known to attack boats in southwest Europe have sunk a 50-foot sailing yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar after ripping open its hull. It is the fifth time these killer whales have sent a ship to the seafloor in the last three years.

Orcas that have been terrorizing boats in southwest Europe have just sank their fifth yacht in three years. And experts have warned that more attacks are likely in the coming months after the orcas unexpectedly switched up their behavior earlier this year.

On Sunday (May 12), an unknown number of orcas ( Orcinus orca ) attacked the 49-foot-long (15 meters) sailing yacht named the Alboran Cognac in the Strait of Gibraltar — a narrow body of water between southern Spain and North Africa that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. During the attack, which began at around 9 a.m. local time, the killer whales repeatedly rammed the boat's hull and rudder, Reuters reported . 

The yacht's two-person crew radioed for help and was rescued by a passing oil tanker. But the vessel's hull sustained serious damage during the attack and the yacht began to take on water, which eventually caused it to sink, Reuters reported.

The attack was likely carried out by a growing number of individuals from the Iberian subpopulation of orcas — a group of around 40 killer whales that live off the coasts of Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Gibraltar — that have been attacking boats across their range since 2020. 

Most of the attacks occur between May and August each year in and around the Strait of Gibraltar. However, earlier this year, some of the highly social apex predators were spotted circling a boat in northern Spain , suggesting they have spread out much further and earlier than normal.

As a result, the Spanish authorities have warned recreational boaters to avoid sailing too far from the coast and to not stop their vessels if they are approached by orcas, according to a translated statement from Spain's Maritime Safety and Rescue Society.

Related: Orcas are learning terrifying new behaviors. Are they getting smarter?

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Since the attacks started in 2020, sailors have reported around 700 interactions with orcas in the area, ranging from circling and nudging vessels to ramming, ripping apart and sinking boats, Reuters reported.

The most recent sinking event prior to this one occurred on Halloween last year when a pod of orcas sank a sailing yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar after a near hour-long attack . Before then, at least three other boats were sunk in the region between 2022 and early 2023. However, no humans have been injured or killed.

During attacks, the orcas' most common tactic is to damage or rip off the vessel's rudder , which makes it impossible to steer the vehicles. Researchers believe this is a learned behavior, and eye-witnesses have previously reported seeing individuals seemingly teach other orcas how to do this . As a result, the number of attacks has increased over the last few years.

— 11 ways orcas show their terrifying intelligence

— How often do orcas attack humans?

— How orcas gained their 'killer' reputation

So far, at least 15 individuals have been linked to at least one attack in the region. But researchers believe the attacks can be traced back to a single female, named White Gladis, who may have been pregnant when she started harassing the boats. However, it is unclear exactly what sparked the attacks.

There has even been a suggestion that the behavior has spread beyond the Iberian population after an orca similarly attacked a boat in Scotland in 2023. However, this was an isolated incident, which makes it hard to link it to the Iberian attacks.

Harry is a U.K.-based senior staff writer at Live Science. He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist. He covers a wide range of topics including space exploration, planetary science, space weather, climate change, animal behavior, evolution and paleontology. His feature on the upcoming solar maximum was shortlisted in the "top scoop" category at the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) Awards for Excellence in 2023. 

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Orcas sink sailing yacht in Strait of Gibraltar

An unknown number of orcas have sunk a sailing yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain’s maritime rescue service said on Monday, a new attack in what has become a trend in the past four years.

The vessel Alboran Cognac, which measured 15 metres (49 feet) in length and carried two people, encountered the highly social apex predators, also known as killer whales, at 9 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Sunday, the service said.

The passengers reported feeling sudden blows to the hull and rudder before water started seeping into the ship. After alerting the rescue services, a nearby oil tanker took them onboard and transported them to Gibraltar.

The yacht was left adrift and eventually sank.

The incident is the latest example of  recurring orca rammings  around the Gibraltar Strait that separates Europe from Africa and off the Atlantic coast of Portugal and northwestern Spain.

Experts believe them to involve a subpopulation of about 15 individuals given the designation “Gladis.”

According to the research group GTOA, which tracks populations of the Iberian orca sub-species, there have been nearly 700 interactions since orca attacks on ships in the region were first reported in May 2020.

Researchers are unsure about the causes for the behaviour, with leading theories including it being a playful manifestation of the mammals’ curiosity, a social fad or the intentional targeting of what they perceive as competitors for their favourite prey, the local bluefin tuna.

Although known as killer whales, endangered orcas are part of the dolphin family. They can measure up to eight metres and weigh up to six tonnes as adults.

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Killer whales ram and sink sailing yacht off Gibraltar coast

The Alboran Cognac was rammed by an unknown number of orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar at around 9am local time on Sunday, the Spanish maritime rescue service said.

Tuesday 14 May 2024 11:54, UK

Orcas have sunk a yacht off the coast of Gibraltar - the latest in a string of similar attacks by the mammals over the past four years.

The Alboran Cognac sailing vessel was rammed by an unknown number of killer whales in the Strait of Gibraltar at around 9am local time on Sunday, the Spanish maritime rescue service said.

Two people were on board, who reported feeling blows to the boat's hull and rudder before it started taking on water.

They had to be rescued by a nearby oil tanker after they radioed the coastguard for help. The pair were taken to Gibraltar for safety, while the yacht was left adrift and later sank.

There have been around 700 interactions between orcas and ships since the trend emerged in the area in May 2020, according to the research group GTOA.

They believe such attacks could be the result of the orcas' playful curiosity or the animals confusing boats with competitors for bluefin tuna - their favourite prey.

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Experts claim these incidents, which have been confined to the strait that separates Spain and Portugal from Africa, are the work of a sub-population of around 15 orcas.

In May last year, a yacht called The Mustique was severely damaged by several of the whales and had to be towed to Cadiz.

Guidelines issued by the Spanish Transport Ministry stipulate that whenever ships observe any alteration in the behaviour of orcas - such as sudden changes of direction or speed - they should leave the area as soon as possible and avoid further disturbance to the animals during the manoeuvres.

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Every interaction between a ship and an orca must be reported to authorities.

Although known as killer whales, endangered orcas are part of the dolphin family. They can measure up to eight metres long and weigh up to six tonnes as adults.

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