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From the Strait of Gibraltar to Galicia, the killer whales quickly passed the ships, causing severe damage to many vehicles and injuring the crew.
Orcas forage near the Moroccan fishing boat in the Strait of Gibraltar. Image: Patty Tse.
Scientists are puzzled by the number of killer whale accidents off the coasts of Spain and Portugal. During the last two months, from the south to the north of Spain, the sailors have sent numerous calls for help after the clashes with orcas. Two ships lost part of the rudder, at least one crew member was bruised from the impact of the collision, and several other ships were severely damaged.
The last accident occurred on the afternoon of September 11 in front of A Coruña, a city in northern Spain. An orca crashed into the stern of the Halcyon Yachts’ 11-meter boat at least 15 times, according to Pete Green, managing director. The ship lost control of the ship and was towed to port to assess the damage.
The killer whale attacks a ship that breaks the rudder. Video: Guardian.
On August 30, a French-flagged ship sent the announcement that the ship had been attacked by an orca to the coast guard. That same day, the Spanish yacht Mirfak lost the wheel after a collision with the orca. On July 29, in waters off Cape Trafalgar, the 14-meter freighter Victoria Morris was surrounded by nine killer whales. They collided with the bow for over an hour, causing the boat to turn 180 degrees, engine failure and the rudder breaking.
A social mammal with high intelligence, the orca is the largest member of the dolphin family. Researchers for small killer whales in the Strait of Gibraltar say they are curious and often follow boats, but have never seen them have such a strong impact. It is unclear if all the attacks were caused by the same herd. Dr Ruth Esteban, who specializes in killer whales in Gibraltar, said that two killer whales are unlikely to behave differently. Alfredo López, a biologist with the Coordination of Marine Mammal Research in Galicia, said that killer whales move along the coast each September from the Bay of Cádiz to the Bay of Vizcaya to hunt fish. tuna.
Local authorities warned the boats to stay away from the killer whales. Whatever happens, it could be a sign of pressure on the endangered killer whale population.
An Khang (According to the guardian)
