Killer whales batter sailboat off the coast of Andalucía
Three sailors had to be towed to shore after a pod of orcas targeted their boat in Cádiz
Three sailors had a very close call on Thursday June 5 when their catamaran ran into a trio of orcas about 28 kilometres west of Cape Trafalgar in Cádiz. The orcas, often called killer whales, rammed the vessel and damaged both rudders, leaving the crew helplessly adrift.
At 7.46am they radioed for help and the Tarifa rescue centre sent the Salvamar Enif ship out to assist them. The rescue crew secured a tow line and guided the battered catamaran to Barbate, where it is now moored and awaiting repairs.
Although orca encounters dropped by 40% last summer compared with the year before, Spain’s monitoring committee still urges sailors to be vigilant from May through August when the whales are most active in the Gulf of Cádiz and the Strait of Gibraltar.
The committee advises small craft to hug the coastline whenever possible and to steer clear of any high-risk zones marked on navigational charts.
Researchers are also working on long-term solutions to try and better understand the fascination orcas seem to have with boats in an effort to prevent more accidents in the future.
The marine conservation group Circe has launched its most ambitious study yet, attaching tiny cameras to Iberian orcas to see exactly what draws them to sailboats.
Based in Barbate, the team hopes their data will reveal how to keep curious whales at a safe distance and prevent more scare stories like Thursday’s rescue.
Also of interest: Third whale death in a week raises alarm in Canary Islands
Image: MITECO
See more news about animals in Spain:
OR
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin to get a comprehensive email with all the week’s news for Spain, Murcia, Alicante and Andalucía.
Get a sneak peek – here are a few of our recent Subscription Bulletins:
Discount Special Offer subscription:
36.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
