A SAILOR was left fearing for his life after a pod of killer whales tore off the rudder of his yacht in a terrifying 45-minute rampage.
Phep Philouceros, 70, was sailing off the coast of Cape Vincent in Portugal when the five orcas starting circling his 30ft vessel.
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He was forced to broadcast a Mayday distress alert during the sail to Royan, France.
But Phep managed to capture the moment two of the beasts ripped off huge parts of his yacht – called Oxygene.
He said the two orcas made light work of the rudder – shredding it in just “one minute”.
The sailor said he also heard the hull crack – but luckily he didn’t spot any water gushing in.
The shocking attack lasted for 45 minutes – and the orcas continued stalking the yacht even as it was being towed away by a rescue vessel.
Phep, who has been sailing the seas for 55 years, said he has never experienced anything like it.
He said: “I think there were young orcas. They were about six or seven meters long.
“They were neither adults or babies.
“The attack wasn’t too violent. The boat moved, it rotated but didn’t capsize.
“If the orcas really wanted to sink the boat, they could have done it easily. I don’t think it was their intention.”
Phep’s boat is now safely ashore in Sagres waiting to be repaired.
Orcas have been “deliberately” swarming ships and slamming into them, in a campaign of terror that is believed to be led by a female orca named White Gladis.
She has supposedly been heading a witch-hunt against boats and teaching her young apprentices how to attack and sink them.
Scientists fear a “critical moment of agony” such as a collision may have sparked her aggression, and speculate she may now be spurring fellow killer whales on to target vessels.
These attacks, which range from orcas simply approaching boats to actively interfering with them, are said to have begun in 2020 around the Strait of Gibraltar.
Cape Vincent is just up the coast from the waters of Gibraltar.
In a study published in the journal Marine Mammal Science in June last year, it was found that these orca assaults are directly aimed at sailing boats.
The whales have been found to all follow a pattern of approaching from the stern of the vessel and striking the rudder.
In May, sailors around Gibraltar were warned about the attacks – with no signs of them stopping.
Orcas are well known for being sociable creatures and can therefore learn easily from one another – including tactics to take down sailors.
Other scientists have suggested the attacks may be due to the highly intelligent orcas becoming territorial or simply wanting to play.
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Imogen Braddick
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