yacht octopus ais

Yacht, IMO 1007213

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The current position of OCTOPUS is at North Sea reported 9 days ago by AIS. The vessel is en route to the port of Bremerhaven, Germany , sailing at a speed of 0.3 knots and expected to arrive there on Oct 11, 11:11 . The vessel OCTOPUS (IMO 1007213, MMSI 319866000) is a Yacht built in 2003 (21 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Cayman Islands .

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OCTOPUS current position and history of port calls are received by AIS. Technical specifications, tonnages and management details are derived from VesselFinder database. The data is for informational purposes only and VesselFinder is not responsible for the accuracy and reliability of OCTOPUS data.

VESSEL INFORMATION FOR OCTOPUS

Current position, imo, mmsi, call sign, flag, ais type, length, beam, voyage data of the ship.

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OCTOPUS (IMO 1007213 ) - Yacht

What are octopus ship details.

OCTOPUS (IMO: 1007213) is a Yacht registered and sailing under the flag of Cayman Islands . Her gross tonnage is 9932 and deadweight is 1680 . OCTOPUS was built in 2003 . OCTOPUS length overall (LOA) is 126.2 m, beam is 21.82 m. Her container capacity is 0 TEU. The ship is operated by FRASER YACHTS FLORIDA INC .

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OCTOPUS current position is received by AIS and displayed on next chart by using of VesselFinder services.

Vessel details for OCTOPUS

Octopus history.

All details and current position are for informational purposes and VesselTracking is not responsible for the accuracy and reliability of OCTOPUS data values.

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OCTOPUS Yacht, IMO 1007213

This ship info includes data on what are the dimensions and general vessel particulars, last and next special class survey, who is the owner of the ship octopus , its commercial manager, ism manager, classification society, their addresses and contact details and shipyard where it was built as well as statistics for the number of owned and managed ships and companies related thereto..

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OCTOPUS current position is received by AIS. Ship info reports, fleet analysis, company analyses, address analyses, technical specifications, tonnages, management details, addresses, classification society data and all other relevant statistics are derived from Marine Vessel Traffic database. The data is for informational purposes only and Marine Vessel Traffic is not responsible for the accuracy and reliability of data reported above herein.

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Octopus Yacht Uncovered: An Insider’s Look at the Luxury Yacht

Launched back in the year 2003, the Octopus yacht was built by famous shipyard Lurssen out of Germany. Lurssen has been behind numerous other superyachts such as Kismet and Dilbar and many more. The exterior design was handled by Espen Øino Naval Architects while the interior was handled by American designer Jonathan Quinn Barnett.

Who Owns the Octopus Yacht?

The Octopus yacht was owned by Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft. In addition to being a private pleasure yacht for Allen, the Octopus has served a variety of purposes over the years thanks to him loaning it out. It has served as an exploration vessel, been used for scientific research and has even seen use as a rescue vessel.

Allen died in 2018 and at that time the yacht underwent a refit at Blohm + Voss. In 2019 it was put on sale for a price of €295 million. The price was dropped by about 60 million and in 2021 it was picked up by an anonymous buyer. However, the anonymity didn’t last long and it was later revealed that Swedish billionaire Roger Samuelsson.

How Big is the Octopus Motor Yacht?

The Octopus more than qualifies as a superyacht coming in at an incredible 126.2 meters or 414 feet. While the largest yachts in the world are over 500 feet, the Octopus is clearly massive and could rightly be labeled a megayacht and one of the world’s largest yachts as well.

Aside from the incredible length of the vessel, it features a beam just shy of 69 feet across. The gross tonnage is 9,932.

How Much Did the Yacht Octopus Cost?

Paul Allen purchased the Octopus back in 2003. At that time the vessel cost him $200 million. Adjusted for inflation, that would work out to about $327 million by today, clearly making this one of the more expensive yachts in the world. That said, it still doesn’t meet the bar for one of the most expensive yachts ever by quite a bit.

Can You Charter the Octopus Yacht?

The Octopus is available for charter through the yacht firm Camper and Nicholsons but it’s definitely not available for most budgets. We’ve covered other yachts before that are owned by billionaires and are available for charter at some steep prices that often range around $1.2 million per week. The Octopus goes to the next level. 

You can charter the Octopus for about $2.2 million per week and that doesn’t include expenses. So you’ll be paying for things like food and fuel separately. Suffice it to say that this is not a charter for everyone but the option is there. 

Is the Octopus Yacht for Sale?

After its initial purchase in 2003 the Octopus was not available for sale until 2019 after owner Paul Allen passed away. There are currently some websites that claim the Octopus is for sale now and you can make an offer but the reliability of those sites is unknown and they do list the previous sale price from 2019 so they may not be current.

How Fast is the Octopus Yacht and What Engines Does it Use?

The Octopus has a cruising speed listed at 12.5 knots and a top speed listed at 19 knots. This is provided thanks to 8 MTU diesel engines that can generate a total of 19,200 hp. The yacht has an impressive range of up to 12,500 nautical miles at cruising speed thanks to her 1,034,000 liter fuel tanks 

What’s the Octopus Yacht Interior Like?

The Octopus covers eight decks and has room on board for a total of 26 guests and 63 crew. The guests can find accommodations in a full-beam master suite, two VIP suites, seven double rooms and three twins, one with an additional single bed.

The master suite is on a dedicated owner’s deck and features a king size bed, his and hers en suite bathrooms and a private observation deck that includes an al fresco dining area. There’s also a private bar and Jacuzzi There is also an owner exclusive private elevator for use. 

For years the details of the interior were a closely guarded secret while Paul Allen was still the owner. In fact, designer Espen Oeino said that this was the first yacht that ever required him to sign an NDA to keep its design secret. Since then he’s signed many more, but the Octopus was where it started. However, since Allen’s passing and the sale of the yacht, the transition to a vessel available for charter has allowed us to learn a lot more about the Octopus and its amenities and entertainment facilities.

Features and Amenities

The Octopus is an ice-class exploration yacht so it can go where many other luxury yachts cannot. It has two helipads as well as garages to house two helicopters. In addition, guests can find the following on board.

• There’s a large swimming pool to the aft of the yacht on the main deck. It features numerous loungers and its own cocktail bar. There’s also a retractable glass floor that covers the pool when not in use.
• A dance floor for parties
• A movie theater
• A well equipped gym for working out
• A relaxation spa that includes a sauna
• A large indoor/outdoor beach club area
• A large deck Jacuzzi
• A glass bottomed observation lounge
• A well-stocked library for those evenings when you want to curl up with a good book

For those who want to have some more intense fun out on the water, the Octopus has a number of toys that can be used.

• 59’5” Delta Powerboats 54′ Tender
• 30’8” Vikal Custom Limo Tender with a pair of 260 HP engines
• A 10-person submarine named Pagoo which we’ll talk more about shortly
• A dive center with a hyperbaric chamber and scuba gear
• A large swim platform
• A diving platform
• 4 separate 2 seat Yamaha FX140 Waverunners
• 2 separate 2 Person Hobie Pursuit Kayaks
• An Epic V5 Kayak
• 3 Windsurfers for a range of skill levels
• A stand up Yamaha jet ski
• 3 surfboards
• Kite surfers 
• Water skis and a variety of towable toys 
• Snorkeling gear
• Fishing gear

Octopus Rescue Work

The Octopus also features a not entirely typical on board submarine and also a very rare ROV or remote operated vehicle which is essentially a remote control sub. These had been used a number of times on rescue operations when Paul Allen owned the vessel.

The sub and ROV were used to help find a pilot and two officers who vanished off the coast of Palau, and even aided the Royal Navy in finding the bell from the HMS Hood which sank off of Denmark in WWII.

The Octopus has also aided in scientific research, most notably when researchers were studying coelacanth, a species of prehistoric fish thought to have been extinct for millions of years. 

What is the Octopus Yacht Deck Plan?

You can see the full deck plans here. The Octopus was designed to feature some things you would never expect to find on a yacht. For instance, it had a fully equipped recording studio where the band U2 did some recording. The studio also hosted Usher, Mick Jagger and Joss Stone. However, the studio has since been replaced with a bar and lounge area.

In addition to the studio the yacht was designed with a storm cabin to help minimize the effects of bad weather and a full medical center in case of emergencies. Many of these features no longer exist since the retrofit after Paul Allen’s death.

One extremely unique feature is the central clock. Braided stainless-steel shrouds from a sailing vessel were strung on either side of the grand staircase from lower to upper deck. The designer enlisted the aid of a 102-year-old German clock making company to help bring the idea to life. It also uses digital audio software so that on a regular basis the strings can play snippets from literally any song to indicate the passage of time.

The Bottom Line

The Octopus yacht was once owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen until his death in 2018. Afterwards, some of the yacht was redesigned and it was sold for close to $300 million to Swedish billionaire Roger Samuelsson. 

The Octopus is a massive exploration yacht measuring 414 feet making it large but nowhere near as big as something like the massive Azzam . It has been used for scientific research and rescue missions in the past and is now available for charter though at a steep price.

While it has many of the expected amenities of luxury yachts it also features some more exotic fare like the minisub with room for 8 passengers and two crew, as well as a stunning array of toys and other features.

My grandfather first took me fishing when I was too young to actually hold up a rod on my own. As an avid camper, hiker, and nature enthusiast I'm always looking for a new adventure.

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Information.

The current position of OCTOPUS is in North Sea with coordinates 53.56917° / 8.55456° as reported on 2024-05-08 09:40 by AIS to our vessel tracker app. The vessel's current speed is 0.3 Knots and is currently inside the port of BREMERHAVEN .

The vessel OCTOPUS (IMO: 1007213, MMSI: 319866000) is a Yacht that was built in 2003 ( 21 years old ) . It's sailing under the flag of [KY] Cayman Is .

In this page you can find informations about the vessels current position, last detected port calls, and current voyage information. If the vessels is not in coverage by AIS you will find the latest position.

The current position of OCTOPUS is detected by our AIS receivers and we are not responsible for the reliability of the data. The last position was recorded while the vessel was in Coverage by the Ais receivers of our vessel tracking app.

The current draught of OCTOPUS as reported by AIS is 5.5 meters

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Octopus: New pictures of Lürssen's 126m explorer

Related articles, superyacht directory.

Camper & Nicholsons has released new images of the 126 metre Lürssen Octopus in Panama just a few months after she made her debut on the charter market following a refit at Blohm+Voss .

Octopus is one of the largest superyachts in the world and also one of the most secretive, that is until she was put up for sale last year. Now under new ownership and available for charter, she embarked on a two-year round-the-world tour at the end of 2021 starting in the Galapagos Islands.

Commissioned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Octopus was built in steel by German yard Lürssen and delivered in 2003. At the time of her launch, she was easily the largest explorer yacht ever built and heralded a new era of superyachts built to travel to the ends of the earth, equipped with scientific and research equipment and all the little (and not-so-little) luxuries expected of a vessel of this size. With exterior design by Espen Øino and interiors penned by Jonathan Quinn Barnett , Octopus remains, to this day, one of the most impressive yachts on the water.

Her ice-class 1A steel hull means she can travel further than most while her two helipads allow guests to be whisked to shore for polar expeditions on land. Since her delivery, Octopus has explored the coast of Antarctica, traversed the Northwest Passage and even discovered the wrecks of long-lost WW2 battleships off the Philippines. 

After a decade of extensive travelling, Octopus checked in for a refit at Blohm+Voss in 2019 where a few tweaks were made to prepare her for the charter market. Work was mostly superficial with new custom furnishings and the removal of a recording studio which has since been replaced by a bar. Accommodation is offered for a total of 12 guests, including a private owner’s deck complete with its own elevator and observation lounge. 

Octopus is home to seven tenders, which are stored out of sight in a drive-in garage that qualifies as a "mini marina". The biggest tender is an 18-metre Delta 54, built in carbon with a top speed of 30 knots, and the yacht is set to take delivery of a Triton 3300/6 submarine. Other standout features include a glass-bottomed underwater observation lounge, smoothie bar, a cinema, wine bar, and a basketball court.

On the bridge deck, also dubbed the entertainment deck, guests will find a heated freshwater swimming pool with a retractable glass floor that raises to deck level to provide an extended area for entertaining. A bar, spa pool and pizza oven are also found nearby. 

What's more, Octopus is powered by two-hybrid ABB Industry AG E-Motors that limit her environmental footprint wherever she roams. She can reach a top speed of 19 knots when underway and is equipped with a globe-trotting range of 12,500 nautical miles when cruising at 12 knots.

Octopus is listed for charter with Camper & Nicholsons asking $2,200,000 per week. The yacht will remain in the Caribbean this summer before heading to Antarctica for the winter.

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• Impressions

One of the largest and most spectacular examples of a full-fledged yachting and exploration vessel, 126-meter Octopus is equipped with highly sophisticated technology. Espen Øino International designed the striking exterior with a blue and white hull and superstructure, featuring two helipads and a hangar aft. The superyacht is capable of exploration and scientific research voyages requiring months at sea. One of her key features is an integrated dock for both the principal 20-meter guest tender and two submarines for exploring marine life, one of which is remotely controlled for reaching greater depths. Octopus also houses a professional music studio and a grandiose cinema, created by interior designer Jonathan Quinn Barnett.

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OCTOPUS YACHT CHARTER

126.2m  /  414'1   lurssen   2003 / 2021.

• Previous Yacht

Cabin Configuration

Special Features:

• Stunning interiors with 13 guest suites
• Vast Owner's deck, including bar, Jacuzzi, alfresco dining area and private elevator
• Large aft swimming pool surrounded by loungers and full cocktail bar
• Cinema suite
• Superb wellness amenities
• Glass-bottomed observation lounge on her tank deck
• 2 helicopters with dedicated hangar
• Personal submarine for 8 people, plus 2 crew
• Dive centre with hyperbaric chamber
• 12,500nm range

With a range of 12,500nm, Octopus is ideal for the adventurous at heart

The 126.2m/414'1" 'Octopus' expedition yacht built by the German shipyard Lurssen is available for charter for up to 12 guests in 13 cabins. This yacht features interior styling by American designer Jonathan Quinn Barnett.

For adventures off the beaten track, Expedition yacht Octopus has all the bells and whistles, designed to offer a sublime combination of luxury and convivial spaces that serve to welcome you from the moment you step onboard. She has sensational features such as a helipad, movie theatre, spa, elevator, underwater lights, beach club and gym.

Guest Accommodation

Built in 2003, Octopus offers guest accommodation for up to 12 guests in 13 suites comprising a master suite and twelve double cabins. The supremely spacious full beam master suite benefits from a his and her bathroom. A crew of forty-two, who specialize in creating exceptional charters, are on hand to provide guests with a yacht charter vacation to remember.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

You and your guests can enjoy a variety of experiences on Octopus, notably a dancefloor where you and your guests can celebrate in style. Meanwhile the yacht boasts a movie theatre, perfect to relax after a long day on the water. Soothe tired limbs and reinvigorate yourself in the sauna and kick back and relax in the well-appointed spa. Take a plunge in the pool under the sun or elsewhere, make your day truly exceptional at the beach club. Maintain your fitness routine and work out in the well-equipped gym plus retreat to the deck jacuzzi and soak up the scenery.

Octopus benefits from some excellent features to improve your charter, notably an elevator, making any part of the yacht quickly and easily accessible. Access to the most exotic destinations is easy thanks to the helipad and stay connected to the outside world on long voyages with satellite communications. Make your evenings more memorable with stunning underwater lights or elsewhere, take advantage of the on board Wi-Fi and stay connected at all times. Guests will experience complete comfort while chartering thanks to air conditioning.

Performance & Range

Built with a steel hull and steel superstructure, she offers greater on-board space and is more stable when at anchor thanks to her full-displacement hull. Powered by 8 x MTU engines, she comfortably cruises at 12 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 19 knots with a range of up to 12,500 nautical miles from her 1,034,000 litre fuel tanks at cruising speed. An advanced stabilisation system on board reduces the side-to-side roll of the yacht and promises guests exceptional comfort levels at anchor or when underway.

Octopus knows a thing or two about fun on the water, with an extensive selection of action packed water toys and accessories for you and your guests to enjoy whilst on charter. Take to the sea on a Jet Ski offering you power and control on the water. You'll be loving the huge adrenaline rush as you zip over the water on one of the four Yamaha FX140 WaveRunners. In addition there are towable toys offering fun and adventure. If that isn't enough Octopus also features waterskis, a Kite Surfer, kayaks, WindSurfers, fishing equipment and much more. Octopus features five tenders, but leading the pack is a 18.1m/59'5" Delta Powerboats Tender to transport you in style.

Octopus and her crew are available for charter this summer for cruising within Northern Europe. She is also accepting bookings this winter on request.

With its superlative combination of luxurious styling and superb amenities, expedition yacht Octopus has everything you could possibly want for unforgettable yacht charter vacations.

TESTIMONIALS

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Octopus Photos

Amenities & Entertainment

For your relaxation and entertainment Octopus has the following facilities, for more details please speak to your yacht charter broker.

Octopus is reported to be available to Charter with the following recreation facilities:

• 1 x 18.1m  /  59'5 Delta Powerboats 54' Tender
• 1 x 9.34m  /  30'8 Vikal Custom Limo Tender with 2 x 260 HP engines
• 2 x 8.7m  /  28'7 Zodiac Custom Tender
• 2 x 5.8m  /  19' Zodiac Milpro MK-V Tender Volvo 70 HP engine
• 1 x 4.7m  /  15'5 Zodiac RIB

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

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For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

'Octopus' Charter Rates & Destinations

Summer Season

May - September

$2,200,000 p/week + expenses

High Season

Cruising Regions

Northern Europe Norway

Winter Season

October - April

Please enquire .

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A Boat Designed to Be a Breath of Fresh Air

The creators of the latest vessel from Azimut Yachts went to great lengths to reduce its emissions, but even they won’t call it green.

By Ian Volner

Reporting from Milan

This article is part of our Design special section about water as a source of creativity.

In the middle of Milan Design Week last month, in the middle of the Bagni Misteriosi — a historic bathing complex in the Porta Romana neighborhood — the Italian luxury shipbuilder Azimut Yachts hosted an unusual exhibition. It was a celebration of the company’s latest offering: the Seadeck 6, which made its debut last year and features interiors by the design team of Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez.

Having been lowered into the facility by crane, the nearly 60-foot vessel was set afloat in an outdoor swimming pool. There it bobbed, traversed by hordes of well-coiffed guests while a concealed apparatus shrouded it in bursts of atmospheric steam. Surreal, elegant, not a little absurd, it was a scene straight out of Fellini, with overtones of Werner Herzog’s boat-hoisting epic “Fitzcarraldo.”

But the thing that made it most unusual? “Azimut wanted to make this the most sustainable boat on the market,” Mr. Rodriguez said. “We tried to do that.”

The ultimate playthings for the ultrawealthy, high-end pleasure craft would not seem optimal candidates for greening. Yet a growing number of manufacturers and designers are trying to change that, producing yachts both large and (comparatively) small assembled from fewer and less carbon-intensive materials, requiring a fraction of the power to run and drawing more of their energy from renewable sources.

In a peculiar twist for an industry uniquely exposed to supply-chain shocks and the vicissitudes of geopolitics (the loss of the once-lucrative Russian market continues to smart), global brand leaders appear to be making the move toward energy efficiency of their own accord, rather than in response to any explicit demand from their clientele.

“We will have to see if the world is ready,” said Giovanna Vitelli, Azimut’s chairwoman, as she stood aboard the Seadeck 6 during its not-quite maiden, not-quite voyage.

It is an approach that entails some risk. In January, Silent Yachts — an Austrian solar-electric catamaran company with facilities in Fano, Italy — was reported to be approaching bankruptcy amid problems with both its corporate parent and a key subcontractor. A former client stepped in to rescue the brand from insolvency, yet challenges remain. In a recent interview with the trade publication Superyacht News, the company’s new chief operating officer, Fabrizio Iarrera, spoke of the “costs associated with creating an entirely new market.”

Still, the push toward more sustainable yachting appears to be barreling forward, part of a broader shift in the role of design in the industry. Seven years ago, Bonetti/Kozerski Architecture in New York — known for its plush hotel interiors for the hospitality magnate Ian Schrager — was invited by Azimut’s sister company Benetti to develop a new yacht concept, the Oasis. It was one of the rare instances in which Benetti, founded in 1873, had sought out collaborators with no previous maritime experience, and all parties took it as an opportunity to import a set of values they viewed as lacking in the boating world.

According to Enrico Bonetti, the architecture firm’s co-founder, boat design previously favored grand spaces that no one actually liked. “There’s always this big table nobody’s using, then you step into another place with shiny things,” he said. “We didn’t follow that.” With its open, airy living space, wood paneling and notable lack of gold leaf, the Oasis represented a more humane vision for the yacht of the future, one constrained by at least the appearance of refinement and reserve, though it was ritzy nonetheless.

That low-key tendency is very much in line with the decarbonization campaign now underway at Azimut and other builders. In recent years, design studios like Zaha Hadid Architects and Pininfarina have turned out yacht proposals that pair sleek visuals with reduced reliance on fossil fuels; later this year, Yves Béhar, the Swiss-born product and furniture maestro, will unveil his own take on the trend — a catamaran designed for an as-yet unnamed manufacturer. “It’s essentially an E.V.,” said Mr. Béhar, who was also in Milan for the design fair.

Underlying the designer eco-yacht phenomenon is the intuitive sense, as Antonio Rodriguez put it, that “silent luxury” is fast displacing opulence. Where previous generations of yachters sought to flaunt their wealth, today’s owners may be less keen to draw attention to their own affluence. In reducing their carbon footprint, boatmakers are hoping to lure customers eager to reduce their profile, while still allowing them to ply the seven seas in style.

The Seadeck 6 certainly does that. With a crisp, white exterior — the work of the veteran yacht designer Alberto Mancini — the ship sleeps up to eight in three below-deck cabins. Topside, guests can sprawl in fore and aft lounges, or take lunch prepared in a semi-concealed galley, served on an elegant foldout table. The interior palette is muted, the contours soft, and everywhere, Ms. Vitelli said, the intention was to let people “feel close to water” rather than immuring them in an oceangoing penthouse.

Relatively speaking, the Seadeck’s ecological credentials are also impressive. Nearly every feature has been retooled for minimal environmental impact: replacing the customary teak deck with sustainably sourced cork; covering the walls and upholstering the seating with organic and recycled materials; even sealing the hull with something the company refers to as an ‘eco-gel finish.’” Most important, the craft incorporates a still-novel (for marine propulsion) hybrid engine, capable of a top speed of 33 knots with the ability to navigate about 200 miles offshore — enough for a quick spin from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas.

Add it together, and the company claims the Seadeck 6 and its larger cousin, the 71-foot Seadeck 7, achieve an operational carbon output 60 percent that of comparable vessels.

It’s a start, but only that. A comparative analysis with a similarly sized Azimut product — coupled with statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency — suggests that the cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau would contribute roughly 4,400 pounds of carbon dioxide on the Seadeck 6, well over what the average American produces in a month.

And then there are the more immediate costs: around $2.8 million for the Seadeck 6 and $4.25 million for the Seadeck 7. Ms. Vitelli said the company hopes that enough buyers will come aboard to make price reductions possible in future.

A lot is riding on these hopes. Elsewhere in Milan, at the giant exhibition hall of the Salone del Mobile furniture fair, a talk session with a group of yacht experts underscored the stakes: During the panel, Stefano de Vivo, the chief commercial officer of the luxury yacht brand Ferretti Group, presented a slide showing Italy’s dominance in the custom-yacht sector, with domestic manufacturers taking a large share of the $9 billion global marketplace.

Mr. de Vivo declared sustainability essential to shipbuilding’s ongoing success and spoke of a general convergence with the design field at large. “As a shipyard, we’ve had to become less ‘marine,’” he said.

Back at the Bagni Misteriosi, mariners did seem in somewhat short supply, as various design lovers and Salone personalities (including the celebrated architect Michele de Lucchi, who helped create an on-site installation for Azimut) swanned around the bathhouse garden and its waterborne centerpiece. As an image of an ecologically sensitive future, the spectacle seemed off the mark — but then the Seadeck’s creators are careful not to make any overly sweeping claims as to whether their yacht, or any yacht for that matter, can truly be deemed an ecological asset.

“We don’t really like the word ‘sustainable,’” Mr. Rodriguez said. “We prefer to say it’s ‘conscious.’”

Killer whales bang into 50-foot yacht off Morocco, forcing 2 on board to abandon ship before it sinks

A pack of killer whales sank a 50-foot yacht in Moroccan waters Sunday when the massive sea mammals slammed into the vessel and forced two sailors aboard to flee, officials said.

Spanish authorities said the crew members were rescued by a passing oil tanker that was alerted to the desperate situation after the boat sprang a leak during the orca encounter in the Strait of Gibraltar.

The two people were customers, and the vessel belonged to Spanish company Alboran Charter, according to the Washington Post.  

The yacht, which was 14 miles from the Cape Spartel coast, later sunk to the bottom of the ocean in the latest orca attack that has prompted experts to warn other sailors of danger in the area.

Last October, a Polish tour agency’s yacht was relentlessly hit by a herd of orcas for 45 minutes that led to “major damage and leakage,” the agency said. The boat ended up sinking.

Orcas also interfered with a sailing race last year when a boat traveling from the Netherlands to Italy had a 15-minute showdown with the animals. The crew was forced to drop its sails and make a ruckus to repel them.

Since 2020, hundreds of boats sailing in waters near Spain, Morocco and Portugal have encountered at least 15 orcas that led to some of the vessels sinking, the Washington Post reported.

Spain’s ministries for transport and the environment warned sailors of sailing boats and small motorboats that orca activity is at its peak between May and August between the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Cadiz. Officials encouraged boaters to sail near the coast.

A team of Spanish and Portuguese marine life scientists, called the Atlantic Orca Working Group, said there were 197 interactions between boats and killer whales in 2021 and 207 more in 2022. 

With Post wires

May 14, 2024

Orcas Just Sank Another Yacht

Orcas have once again attacked and sunk a boat near the Strait of Gibraltar, a behavior that has scientists stumped

By Andrea Thompson

Orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Patty Tse/Alamy Stock Photo

The orcas are at it again.

A group of the highly social marine mammals, also called killer whales, attacked and sank a 50-foot-long sailing yacht on Sunday, the New York Times reported . Two people had to be rescued from the waters near the Strait of Gibraltar.

The incident was yet another in a startling spate of such attacks by orcas ( Orcinus orca ) in the area since 2020—an apparently emerging phenomenon that has researchers stumped.

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“It is a rare behavior that has only been detected in this part of the world,” said Alfredo López, an orca researcher at the Atlantic Orca Working Group (GTOA), in an interview with Scientific American last year.

In the more than 500 cases GTOA has documented of orcas reacting to boats, most often the animals have only approached the vessels. In the fraction of reports that have included physical interactions, the orcas have usually bit at a vessel’s rudder. The attacks have usually lasted less than 30 minutes, but some have gone on for up to two hours.

So far there are two main hypotheses regarding the baffling behavior. One is that it is a fad, which orcas seem to engage in just like humans do. Orcas in one Pacific Northwest group famously spent the summer of 1987 sporting dead salmon on their head, for example.

The other is that the new trend stems from past negative experiences with boats, which can strike and severely harm marine animals. The Iberian orca population is critically endangered; migration routes put its members in the path of many fishing, military and recreational vessels. But researchers caution against attributing malicious intent to animals. Deborah Giles, science and research director of the Washington State–based nonprofit conservation organization Wild Orca, previously told Scientific American that orcas in the Pacific Northwest were relentlessly pursued by humans in the 1960s and 1970s—but never attacked people or boats.

Scientists are gaining a greater awareness and understanding of the these clever predators by studying not only the boat attacks (which GTOA has said have declined overall so far this year, compared with previous ones) but also other behaviors. The first recorded instance of a group of orcas killing a blue whale was observed in 2019, and single orcas have been documented killing great white sharks . Recent research has also suggested that orcas in the Pacific Northwest should actually be recognized as two different species versus part of a single global species. It is possible that other groups that are currently considered subpopulations of that one species are also separate ones.