On a calm day 500 nautical miles off the New Zealand coast, a sperm whale slammed the port side of the sailing yacht Tai Tam, sending the vessel into a lurk that eventually caused it to buckle and take on water.
Jeremy and Gemma Cooper – a married sailor couple – reported that the sudden jolt meant they “had been hit by something” before a pod of six sperm whales drifted behind the sinking boat. The crew abandoned ship, launching a life raft that kept them afloat for 17 hours.
Rescue came when a container ship cruising the same stretch of ocean spotted the raft and dispatched a lifeboat. Once aboard, the Coopers, along with two other sailors, were taken to a medical facility. Despite the near‑miss, they say they are optimistic about returning to the water in the future.
Video produced by Lana Lam, edited by Alex Foster.
