(KRON) -- You might call this "A Whale of a Tale." A Palo Alto teen's boat was attacked by a killer whale while out to sea off the coast of southern Spain.
You may remember we introduced you to Cal Currier last summer when he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from the East Coast. Well, he and his family went on another adventure this summer, but it was cut short.
This was the moment when orcas, also known as killer whales, attacked Cal Currier's boat "Argo."
His father immediately called for SOS. The boat was adrift on the Strait of Gibraltar near Spain, leaving Currier, his brother and his father stranded.
"It was very brief and very intense," Currier who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean said.
Speaking to KRON4 from Portugal, Currier says the incident lasted about 4 minutes.
"As soon as it happened me and my brother were lowering the sails turning off the engine doing things to try to really boar them. We hoped that it worked to boar them so they would go away. That did not," Currier said.
It all came to an end when his boat was spotted by a rescue team and towed to safety.
Last year, the Palo Alto native who was 16 years old at the time sailed solo across the Atlantic Ocean from the East Coast.
This time he was sailing to Greece with his family. And while no one on board was hurt by the killer whales...
The boat's rudder is now destroyed. Currier's experience is just one of several recent attacks off the coast of southern Spain.
Local maritime rescue service says there have been dozens of reports of attacks on vessels this year on the Spanish and Portuguese coasts.
"The funniest thing about the whole trip is that we knew there were orcas," Currier said. "We knew that they were there but at the same time we never actually considered the possibility that they would attack."
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The damage is not repairable. Currier sold the totaled boat to a marine repair shop for 500 euros -- ultimately leaving his quest to Greece at a standstill.
As for what’s next, Currier and his brother are making the most of the situation. They are still trying to make it to Greece to complete their journey.
from KRON4 https://ift.tt/I4GAg7r
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