Orca attacks off the coast of Spain have sparked new warnings and safety guidelines from officials.
The Maritime Safety and Rescue Society released a map detailing the areas of concern so that sailors may avoid them. The areas run between the Gulf of Cadiz and the Strait of Gibraltar. The officials hope the new guidelines in will help sailors “avoid, or at least minimize, the possible risks to both the people on board, the boats and the cetaceans themselves.”
The updated guidelines follow the sinking of a yacht on May 12, which was caused by orcas ramming into the vessel.
The two people on board felt sudden bumps to the boat’s rudder and hull, before water started pouring onboard, the BBC reported. They were rescued by emergency services but the yacht was too damaged and eventually sank into the ocean.
This is not the only incident to occur in recent times. A group of infamous orcas have been attacking boats in this stretch of ocean for years, but they appeared to intensify in 2023.
The new guidance advises sailors to avoid navigation to certain areas, between the Gulf of Cadiz and the Strait of Gibraltar in particular. The agency said “extreme caution” should be taken between May and August as orcas tend to be more abundant in this area at that time of year.
If there is an interaction with orcas on a boat, the officials do not recommend coming to a stop. Instead, they advise sailing towards the coast to shallower waters.
The Maritime Safety and Rescue Society emphasizes that it is “forbidden to use deterrent measures against killer whales that may cause death, harm, nuisance or concern.”
In most of these incidents, the orcas repeatedly ram a boat’s rudder. Although most boats manage to escape, some boats have sunk as a result of the damage they cause. Scientists are still not sure what motivates this behavior—but there are theories.
Some experts believe they are not attacking the boats out of aggression, rather they have made a game of chasing and ramming them. Orcas are highly intelligent and social creatures, and this would not be the first time they have displayed such complex behavior.
It is believed that in the Strait of Gibraltar there may be one individual orca behind most of the attacks.
White Gladis and her pod have been ramming boats in the area for the past few years. In 2020, researchers with the Coordinator for the Study of Marine Mammals (CEMMA) said they were behind 61 percent of the attacks.
However, the behavior needs more research on the whole, as the attacks do not seem to be stopping.
This article by Robyn White was first published by Newsweek on 4 June 2024. Lead Image: A stock photo shows an orca swimming underwater. New guidelines have advised sailors on how to avoid attacks from the animals. SLOWMOTIONGLI/GETTY.
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