Spain: A group of killer whales caused a sailing boat a lot of damage. The attack happened near the southern coast of Spain, according to the local marine rescue service. This is the latest time this year that orcas have attacked ships in Spanish and Portuguese waters.
The orcas went after the 20-meter sailing boat Mustique. It was going to Gibraltar under a British flag, early on Thursday morning. The pod of orcas hit the boat, breaking the rudder and putting a hole in the ship. The four-person crew called Spanish officials right away to ask for help. To help the damaged boat, the maritime emergency service sent out a response boat and a helicopter with a bilge pump right away. In the end, the Mustique pulled to the port of Barbate in the province of Cadiz, where its fixed.
The study group GTOA, which keeps an eye on the Iberian orca subspecies, says that this is one of at least 20 interactions between small boats and these very social top predators in the Strait of Gibraltar this month alone. In the same area in 2022, 207 reported contacts with orcas.
In May, three orcas attacked the sailing boat Alboran Champagne near Barbate in a similar way. But because the damage was so bad and there was too much water, the ship could not be saved and sank.
The Spanish Transport Ministry has rules that say ships should leave an area where orcas are acting strangely, like if they suddenly change direction or speed. This is to keep the animals from being scared even more. Its also required that the government know about any contacts between ships and orcas.
Even though most people call these animals “killer whales,” they are actually dolphins. As adults, they can grow to be as long as 8 metres and as heavy as 6 tonnes. But their numbers are dropping, which shows how important it is to protect these beautiful animals through protection efforts.
