Group of orcas attack and sink vessels off Iberian Peninsula
Stephanie Sy:
In the past three years, hundreds of boat and orca interactions have been reported off the coasts of Portugal, Spain, and Morocco.
According to the Spanish research group GTOA, in 2022, there were 207 reported interactions in the Strait of Gibraltar alone. The strait is a narrow waterway that separates Spain and Morocco. And the meetings are not always gentle.
Just last month, killer whales surrounding a boat sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar were met with loud noises, an attempt by the crew to scare them off. The pod rammed the boat continuously for over an hour, managing to remove the rudder. With seawater gushing into the boat, the experienced crew of four issued a mayday call, and were eventually towed to shore unharmed.
In another recent instance off the coast of Spain, three orcas repeatedly struck a yacht, causing it to sink entirely after Spanish Coast Guards rescued the crew on board.
Source: PBS NewsHour
