Archive · 1 Oct 2026
Four Sailors Rescued After Sperm Whale Sinks Pacific Yacht
A large sperm whale hit a yacht in the South Pacific.
The yacht began filling with water and sank.
Four sailors quickly called for help and activated emergency beacons.
They moved into an inflatable life raft.
They waited there for almost 17 hours.
A New Zealand aircraft found the raft.
A cargo ship then picked up all four people.
Nobody was reported injured.
A sperm whale struck the 52-foot yacht Tai Tam in the South Pacific.
The four-person crew spent nearly 17 hours in an inflatable life raft.
The collision occurred about 250 nautical miles north of Norfolk Island.
The crew activated emergency beacons and sent a Mayday call after the yacht began sinking.
A cargo ship rescued all four sailors, who were reportedly uninjured.
- Who
- Four sailors—two Australian nationals, one New Zealander and one French national—were rescued.
- What
- A sperm whale collided with and sank the 52-foot yacht Tai Tam, leaving the crew in a life raft.
- When
- The crew spent nearly 17 hours in the life raft before being rescued.
- Where
- About 250 nautical miles north of Norfolk Island in the South Pacific.
- Why
- The yacht sank after seawater rushed in through damage caused by the whale collision.
- Vessel
- Tai Tam, a 52-foot Australian yacht
- Incident location
- Approximately 250 nautical miles north of Norfolk Island
- Animal involved
- A sperm whale from a nearby pod
- Time stranded
- Nearly 17 hours
- Rescue aircraft
- Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon
- Rescue vessel
- MV SOFRANA SURVILLE
- Outcome
- All four sailors were rescued and reportedly suffered no injuries