Jeremy and Gemma Cooper, a sailing couple from New Zealand, were 500 nautical miles off the coast when their 128‑ft yacht, the Tai Tam, was struck by a sperm whale. The sudden impact pushed the boat to port side, flooding it and forcing the crew to abandon ship.
The couple and two other sailors fled into a life raft and endured 17 hours of open water, battling rough seas and limited supplies, before a nearby container vessel rescued them. The officers reported seeing a pod of six sperm whales drifting behind the capsized yacht as the whale rush had escalated the crash.
“We were relieved to be rescued,” the Coopers told the BBC. They added that, while shaken, they plan to return to the sea soon, noting the experience has strengthened their respect for the ocean.
(Video produced by Lana Lam, edited by Alex Foster.)