A year off under sail. Christophe Bourel, 51, and Anna Loy, 44, want to sail their 10.90 metre Contest 36 called "Kind of Blue" from Brittany to Greece - and then back to France. Their son Elliot Bourel, eleven, and dog Marcel are also on board. The couple have been preparing for the trip for a long time. After 15 years of sailing in Brittany, the couple buy their own yacht and get it ready for the trip. Christophe Bourel leaves his company behind in Paris and his son takes a year off school. They set off in July 2023. The plan: from Lorient through the Bay of Biscay, then steeply southwards off the Portuguese coast to reach the Mediterranean as quickly as possible.
But the three of them are not counting on the orcas. In the end, it takes them three months to make it from Lorient to Gibraltar on their own. The reason: yachts are being attacked by killer whales all along the Atlantic coast. Sailing ships are damaged, some even sink.
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The panic about killer whales is spreading: Over the radio and on the jetties, in chat groups and on the internet, the aggressive mammals have long been the number one topic - and the "Kind of Blue" is caught in the middle. Confused by official rules of behaviour, contradictory reports and a thousand tips in the forums, the crew heads south. A ride between fear and caution, hysteria and "pure stress". The French themselves ultimately avoid an attack - but the horrors of this stage are still in their bones.
They don't want to go back to France after this Atlantic leg. The boat remains in the Mediterranean.
YACHT meets the three French sailors in a harbour in the south of Sardinia, where they can finally sail in peace and are now on their way to Sicily and Greece. But the conversation still centres on the big topic of the past few months: the orcas - and the new fear route on the Atlantic coast.
Orcas on the Atlantic coast are the talk of the town. When did you first hear about them?
In the summer of 2022, a year before our trip, we met a family with children on Belle-Île who, like us, wanted to spend a year sailing in the Mediterranean. The skipper and his wife told us about the orcas. They immediately said that the marine mammals could become a real problem. "What kind of orcas?" we asked. At the time, we didn't know much about the phenomenon. We had read a few reports, but had no idea that the whales were getting so close to the sailors. Then we started to do some research.
So that was still at home, before the trip?
Yes, we soon became intensively involved in the matter. We heard about special orca apps for the first time and chat groups, which we joined. We also read scientific reports and followed the news.
So you knew what to expect?
Yes. However, the problem only really becomes real when you set off yourself and actually head for the areas concerned on your own keel. We had memorised the words of the family: it would be complicated around Spain and Portugal. However, when we travelled there ourselves later on, we still met many sailors who had hardly heard of the orca attacks. Others thought the whole thing was a rare phenomenon. A hysteria, ultimately too crazy to be true.
Did an orca actually get in your way?
Basically, they influenced our entire trip - from the first day we set sail from Lorient. And we couldn't have imagined it to this extent beforehand. When we set off in July 2023, we had already heard about attacks in Brittany. There were now signs on the jetties in Lorient informing sailors of the situation. We were told to find out more, contacts and information addresses were listed on the internet.
What have you done?
It started with the fact that we changed our originally planned route. Normally you sail from Lorient to A Coruña in northern Spain. But we heard that many orcas had just been sighted there. We didn't want to take the risk of an encounter. We knew by now that many boats had been damaged. Some of the rudder systems had been destroyed, and the rudder of a Hallberg-Rassy was sticking out at a 90-degree angle after an orca attack. There were also leaks in the hulls. We wanted to avoid such an accident at all costs, especially at the beginning of our journey. Major damage could mean weeks, possibly months, on land. And the repairs would cost a lot of money. Our entire year on the boat might have been at stake.
Did you ever consider turning back after these first horror reports?
Yes, we seriously thought about it. But our son Elliot really wanted to go to the Mediterranean. He dreamed of the turquoise-coloured bays and the warm water. We had also considered taking the ship through the French canals to the Mediterranean, but that didn't work because of the draught. We even got an offer to have the ship transported to the Côte d'Azur on a low-loader: 15,000 euros, far too expensive.
What happened next?
We eventually sailed from Île d'Yeu across the Bay of Biscay and instead of A Coruña, we headed for Gijón, a good 150 nautical miles to the east in Asturias. From there, we wanted to continue towards A Coruña - but it ended up taking us almost a month. The wind was blowing against us and there were high waves from the west. We lost a lot of time. What's more, orcas were still being reported off A Coruña and in the north-west of Spain. A sailing yacht got into trouble off A Coruña, the animals were circling around the ship, even though the boat was still sailing far out in the Bay of Biscay. In the meantime, we were in contact with several yachts via a Telegram channel. Up to 1,600 sailors are now exchanging information about the current orca situation on the Atlantic coast in these and other groups.
What do you hear and read there?
All the WhatsApp and Telegram groups are now full of experiences and various opinions on what you should and shouldn't do as a sailor. Naturally, we followed the most important recommendations. Above all, this includes the advice to stay close to land, in water depths of no more than 20 metres. The orcas obviously avoid shallow water. However, to travel so close to the coast, you need very calm weather and an optimal forecast - especially in the Atlantic. Little wind, little swell. Like many other crews, we often waited a long time in the harbours for calm weather.
What other advice is there?
Another tip for keeping the orcas at bay is to always drive under engine power. The noise supposedly scares them off. There are now websites from the Spanish and Portuguese governments. They also advise sailing under motor - even if the sails are up and you can make good progress with the wind. We followed this advice. Some sailors also wrote on Telegram: "Start the engine and go full throttle!" They were mostly young orcas "playing" with the yachts. However, if the ship moves away quickly, they eventually sponge back to their mothers and families. In any case, this was the latest advice last autumn: always sail under engine power and close to land. Many others have also followed this advice - and have not encountered any orcas.
Do you have any other tips?
In some apps and on the internet, scientists give further advice: shut down all systems on board as soon as orcas appear in the vicinity. GPS, AIS, radio, radar, echo sounder. And according to these statements, you should then suddenly stop the engine and even lower the sails. So just drift on the sea and do nothing. Not even speak out loud. But then we read the exact opposite again on social media: it's all bullshit, someone promptly wrote!
For what reason?
A researcher who works with the Portuguese authorities and has allegedly been observing the orcas off the coast for 30 years commented: "Shutting everything down and drifting would not help at all. That would only encourage the orcas to attack the yacht. As a normal sailor, you end up not knowing what to believe and what to do. Some say this, others say that. And that's part of the stress that builds up. We have also read on other channels that there is no point in stopping everything and just drifting.
Some orcas would then sometimes frolic with the boats for hours. Among those affected were yachts that were turned in circles by the orcas for long periods of time. The whales nudged the boats with their snouts, at the stern, at the bow - and spun them round on their own axis. Such descriptions are frightening. You have to imagine it! You sit on your boat and are spun 360 degrees in a circle by an animal weighing several tonnes. We certainly didn't want to experience that!
More than understandable.
The orcas weigh up to six or seven tonnes and swim at speeds of up to 30 knots. And in the three months we were travelling in the Atlantic, four yachts sank after orca attacks. It was all over the press in France. The whales swim against the oars, playing with the boat like a ball. They often break the rudder blade, the coker. This tears a hole in the hull and the ship sinks. In Barbate, just off Gibraltar, we saw such a case with our own eyes. The yacht had sunk after an orca attack, only the masts were still sticking out of the sea.
Which protection methods do local sailors prefer?
There are the craziest ideas. Many sailors try out new things and test defence measures on their own. Some attach one or even two additional outboards to the stern. This makes a lot of noise and makes the boats even faster. Others have installed spikes on the rudder blade using their own designs. Pointed metal spikes that are supposed to keep the orcas away. Others paint their underwater hulls a wild colour. We have already seen a huge set of teeth on the bow, just like a great white shark. Others paint their underwater hulls black and white so that the hull looks like an orca itself. Other hull paint jobs are even more unusual: red triangles, King Barbarossa in bright orange, bright lines and patterns that run across the entire underwater hull. People try out all sorts of things; it has almost become a discipline in its own right on the Atlantic coast.
What else have you come across?
We have seen boats dragging bundles of thin metal rods in their wake. The clacking and jingling is supposed to deter the animals from approaching. An Irish yacht had a long, hollow metal pipe attached to the stern, which led into the sea behind the ship. They hit the top of it with a hammer when orcas approached so that the clonking would scare the animals away. Nobody knows what helps. But everyone tries something.
Have you been in contact with fishermen? What do they say?
Some of the local fishermen said they would kill the orcas if they seriously attacked their ship. After all, the sea is their job. Some sailors now also carry ammunition on board.
Ammunition? You mean weapons?
There is often talk of "firecrackers" on the coast. However, this does not refer to the usual distress signalling devices that yachts have on board. What is meant is special underwater ammunition, an explosive that is also occasionally used by professional divers. Some sailors sit with such a box in the cockpit, ready to detonate the ammunition if necessary. Here and there, because of the orcas, there are even said to be real weapons on board. Motto: If push comes to shove, we'll shoot them. That is, of course, forbidden. And licences are required for all such ammunition.
Have you experienced something like this yourself while travelling?
No, but we have seen videos documenting the use of explosives. In southern Spain, a skipper threw some overboard because there were orcas. There was an explosion in the water. Jet skis that were not far away filmed the whole thing. When the ship entered the harbour, the police were already there. The skipper was arrested.
Have orcas already been killed in this way?
Not that we know or have heard of. Nobody wants to kill the killer whales, especially not the sailors we met. Besides, the animals are strictly protected. They can't stand the pressure waves, it disrupts their sonar, their orientation. That's why the governments are releasing so much information: to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Have you encountered orcas?
We didn't have any direct contact. But we did see some three times. Fortunately, they were quite far away from the boat and didn't come any closer. Maybe because we followed the tips. We travelled close to land with the engine running.
The tension on board must have been pretty high.
Yes, the whole subject gets to you. As soon as you see a fin in the sea while sailing, you get nervous. Even if it's just a dolphin, whose dorsal fins are very different from those of orcas. But you want to be on the safe side. Sometimes we stared through the binoculars like idiots for two hours straight. Are the fins getting closer? Are they really just big dolphins? And the madness continues on land ...
In what way?
Orcas are the number one topic in the harbours. As soon as they arrive at the harbour, the conversation starts: Have you seen any? Have you heard them? Don't go any further south, that's where they are! All these horror reports, hearing nothing else for weeks on end, it does something to you. It's scary, it's extremely stressful. And then, finally in Lisbon, we were stuck there for over two weeks. In the bay in front of the harbour, of all places, there were soon lots of orcas swimming around. Of course, we didn't go out there - because we could see them.
How is that possible?
The positions of the orcas can be tracked on certain apps. Many of the animals are tagged and send GPS data. And in other apps, sightings have to be documented with photos or short films. So you can be pretty sure where they are. And sometimes it really was like being under a spell. Orca alerts everywhere! In the end, we looked at the orca apps more often than the weather.
Where were the orcas spotted when you were there?
At first we only heard of sightings around Coruña in northern Spain. But then they were also off Faro in the south. Most recently, the animals were again reported east of Gibraltar. And there, too, they swam close to yachts. This ultimately declares the entire Atlantic coast of Portugal and Spain right into the Mediterranean to be a risk area.
How did your eleven-year-old son react to the orca hysteria?
On the one hand, he found it exciting. For him, they are beautiful and very imposing animals. He would have liked to see an orca up close, but of course he knew that we shouldn't meet one of these giants. He wasn't afraid. He knew that we did everything we could and took all the advice into account to minimise the risks.
Were there sailors on the way who didn't care about the orcas? They say: all exaggerated, all rubbish!
Yes, there were those too. And that's what our fellow countrymen like to do: the French. Well, they don't pay much attention to recommendations. They prefer to do their own thing. Maybe that's why it's always French yachts that are attacked.
But then at least they drive far out?
Yes, but even that doesn't always help. Last year, two ships were attacked in the middle of the Bay of Biscay. Both had a broken steering gear afterwards. We still follow these yachts on social media today. And both were only recently able to continue sailing because they had been busy with repairs on land for months. Exactly what we wanted to avoid!
In the end, you experienced the orcas as a threat for over six months. Do you see the animals differently now?
No, by no means. After all, we are travelling in their habitat, not them in ours. Maybe it's just a game for them. And maybe the spook will soon be over again from one day to the next.
Do you really believe?
In North America, young orcas played with dead salmon and placed them on their snouts. They literally balanced the salmon in the air. This went on for two or three years. Then they stopped abruptly. Be that as it may, the orcas are wonderful animals. We need to protect them, not the other way round. Nevertheless, one thing is certain for us: there is no way we would sail this route along the Atlantic coast again.
When did you finally get back to relaxed sailing?
When we passed Gibraltar and arrived at Marbella - it was like a relief! Carefree progress and simply looking out to sea. Without panicking that two or three black fins were about to appear somewhere. We didn't even know what it was anymore: pure sailing!
Were you able to switch so easily after three months of tension?
No, and we still can't completely forget the issue. We're still in the chat groups, following what's happening. It was rather quiet last winter, but it started up again at the end of February. Since February 2024, the orcas have attacked 15 yachts, including one that was sailing off Morocco.
But for you, the spook is over for good now, isn't it?
Yes, because we have changed all our travel plans. We'll be leaving the boat in Greece and travelling there from France next summer.
And that wasn't planned at all at the beginning?
No, the orca issue is actually the only reason why we will leave the ship in the Mediterranean. On the journey back to France, we would have to pass through the affected sea areas again. And we definitely don't want to do that to ourselves. Another Atlantic? Orca Valley again? No way! That was really enormous stress, to our limits and beyond.
But the orcas didn't put you off sailing?
Not at all. We love sailing, even more than before. It feels incredibly good to be travelling by boat, to be on the boat. Even under these circumstances. And we already have a next plan. We need a bigger boat! We dream of selling the house - and living completely on the sailing boat. To be honest, we're only just really getting out on the water. We have a lot of time to think. We get to know other sailors. Other harbours, other countries. And, orcas or no orcas, it's an absolute dream. We're living our best life right now!
