Janet Morris and Stephen Bidwell Wiki – Janet Morris and Stephen Bidwell Biography
Janet Morris and Stephen Bidwell, from Cambridge, were enjoying a sailing course off the coast of Morocco when they saw a pod of orcas. A British couple has relived the terrifying moment they were attacked by orcas.
Some of the deadly mammals began to pound on the boat, an attack that continued for an hour, it is claimed. Also facing strong winds and large swells, the skilled crew managed to navigate to calmer and safer waters. Business consultant Janet, 58, said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw them, it’s extremely rare.” We were sitting ducks.
“We were incredibly calm, but deep down we were like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ ‘Because everyone was calm, it felt good, but we were petrified, it wasn’t until afterward that we talked about being very scared. ‘We got our valuables and our passports and we talked about preparing the life raft.
Janet Morris and Stephen Bidwell were Killed by Whales
“It didn’t really help that conditions were bad before the orcas. The ship was moving a lot, it was difficult to distinguish one cause from the others. “The captain was very calm and orderly, which got everyone through.” Photographer Stephen, also 58, said: “We all kept calm because we knew if any of us got anxious he would be contagious.”
“We were able to do that because the skipper was very calm. “Orcas enjoy the thrill of the chase, so ideally we would have stayed put, but that was not possible due to the winds.” Janet and Stephen, who are qualified to charter and captain sailboats, were on the second day of a week-long course to earn sailing miles when the orcas arrived, Tuesday, May 2, just seven miles from Tangier.
The pair were taking a nap preparing for their night watch duty when they felt banging on the hull and heard crew members yelling: ‘Orcas! Killer whales! – so they ran on deck. At some point during the attack, the crew saw the orcas, believed to number at least six, chasing sponge-like pieces of debris in the water.
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The orcas gave up the chase after an hour, but the boat’s steering failed, so they returned to shore. Back in the harbor, they realized the debris was pieces of the rudder from the sailing yacht, a 46-foot Bavaria.
The couple will have another chance to take the course, Janet said. She added: “We were on the course to gain experience, and we’ll know what to do if this happens again.” The Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Europe and Africa, has previously been referred to as “orca alley” due to the large number of whales. There have been previous reports of whales attacking ships in the area, which has puzzled scientists.
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