Twenty minutes ago, a rogue killer whale turned billionaire Robert Powell’s luxury yacht

Marine experts believe the pod could have included the now-famous “White Gladis,” a female orca identified in several similar incidents near the Strait of Gibraltar. White Gladis is believed to have initiated a behavioral trend among local pods that involves striking yacht rudders — behavior some scientists describe as “social learning.”

A Pattern of Attacks
Brit sailor relives ‘terrifying’ ordeal as orcas attacked his boat for hours as he called coastguard begging for help

Powell’s ordeal was not an isolated incident. Since 2020, dozens of orca-boat interactions have been recorded in what sailors now call “Orca Alley,” stretching from Portugal to Morocco.

In May 2024, another yacht was sunk in the same region after being rammed repeatedly by orcas, according to ABC News. In August 2023, tourists near Sesimbra, Portugal, captured video of orcas surrounding their vessel. A year earlier, British couple Janet and Stephen Bidwell reported being attacked for over an hour while sailing in the Strait of Gibraltar.

These cases share similar patterns: orcas targeting boat rudders and striking with coordinated precision before losing interest and swimming away.

What Science Says
WATCH: Orca yacht sinking – Sailor shares details of two-hour orca encounter which sank his yacht off Spain – Yachting World

While the incidents sound alarming, marine biologists caution against interpreting them as “attacks.” According to biologist Alfredo López Fernández from the University of Aveiro in Portugal, the behavior may have originated from one orca’s traumatic experience — possibly a collision with a vessel — and spread socially through imitation.

In an interview with LiveScience, López explained: “That traumatized orca is the one that started this behavior of physical contact with boats. Others have learned and copied it.”

The International Whaling Commission supports this view, noting that juvenile orcas often treat boats as moving objects of curiosity. They seem particularly fascinated by rudders, which create vibration and noise underwater. Despite the destruction, experts emphasize that orcas do not intentionally attack humans.

Why the Myths Persist
Following Powell’s survival, the internet quickly turned his experience into sensationalized fiction. Dozens of fake headlines — from “Billionaire’s Yacht Sunk by Orcas” to “Elite Businessman Missing After Killer Whale Rampage” — began circulating in 2025.

Fact-checking by outlets such as Newsweek and Reuters confirmed that these claims were false. The real Robert Powell is a managing director of an IT firm in London, not a billionaire, and the event occurred in 2024, not 2025.

Experts at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism explain that misinformation thrives when stories combine emotional drama with a kernel of truth. Real events, when exaggerated with false details — like wealth, tragedy, or mystery — are more likely to go viral because they evoke strong emotions.

The Broader Ecological Context