Orcas have sunk a yacht off Spain's north-west coast after ramming another three vessels in the same area. Two people aboard the pleasure craft Idem had to be rescued after its rudder was destroyed and the yacht began taking on water before sinking.
Fourth Orca Interaction in One Day
The latest encounter involving the killer whales happened around 5pm yesterday just over a mile off Estaca de Bares, the northernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula in Galicia's La Coruna province. Local mayor Alfredo Dovale said a private boat came to the sailors' aid and attempted to tow the stricken yacht to shore before it disappeared beneath the waves.
A Spanish Coastguard vessel later ferried the pair to the nearby town of Carino while a helicopter searched the area where the orca encounter occurred for any signs of pollution. The two people aboard the yacht escaped the ordeal unhurt.
The sinking happened on the same day as three other encounters involving sailboats and the giant mammals in the same stretch of water. The vessels' rudders were also targeted, but the damage was not enough to stop two of them reaching port, although the third yacht was left disabled.
Coastguard Details Multiple Incidents
Spanish coastguards said overnight: "A yacht has sunk 1.3 miles from Estaca de Bares as a result of taking on water after an interaction with orcas. Its two crew members were picked up by a nearby motorboat and are safe. Later, the rescue vessel Shaula, dispatched by CCS Finisterre, transported them to Carino. The Helimer 401 helicopter is flying over the area to check for any signs of pollution."
In a second message they said: "This is the fourth orca interaction that occurred in the area yesterday. While assisting the yacht Idem, it emerged another sailing vessel had also experienced an interaction with these marine mammals, but the damage to its rudder was minimal and it continued sailing to Viveiro. At midday yesterday, the sailing yacht Glatisant was left adrift in the Viveiro estuary with its rudder inoperable. Coastguard rescue vessel Alioth reached its position and escorted the yacht to port. Likewise, another sailing yacht, Kador, with one crew member and three cats on board, also encountered orcas at around 2.30pm yesterday. In that case, although the Coastguard rescue vessel Shaula was dispatched, it ultimately did not require assistance and was able to sail to Viveiro unaided."
All of the emergencies were coordinated by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (CCS) in Finisterre.
Previous Orca Attacks
In October last year the Portuguese Air Force rescued a family of five, including three children, after they narrowly escaped death when their yacht was sunk in an orca attack. A military helicopter was sent to winch the survivors from a fishing vessel that had come to their rescue after their boat was rammed by a pod of the mammals and began taking on water. They were flown to hospital although they were uninjured in the incident, which happened late on October 10 around 55 miles south-east of Peniche, about a 75-minute drive north of Lisbon. Three children aged eight, 10 and 12 were aboard the French-flagged 36ft yacht, named locally as Ti'fare, along with their mother and father when it was attacked. Their parents managed to send an SOS and climb into a life raft before the vessel, reportedly left with a breached hull after being rammed, began to sink. A Peniche-based fishing boat called Silmar responded to the distress call as military rescuers were mobilised.
In September last year a pod of orcas sank a yacht carrying five people, including a British national, near Fonte da Telha beach just south of Lisbon. Footage showed an orca repeatedly striking the Oceanview sailing boat, owned by the Nautic Squad Club, before it disappeared beneath the water after the crew had been rescued. The same pod attacked another nearby boat called Nova Vida later that day. The Norwegian sailors aboard later revealed they managed to save their vessel by fitting an emergency rudder, allowing them to limp back to Cascais, 10 nautical miles away, after the attack.
A number of similar incidents have also occurred in the Strait of Gibraltar. There have been hundreds of reported orca attacks in recent years. It remains unclear why orcas target boats, although experts believe the marine mammals may be acting out of playfulness or because they perceive the vessels as a threat.
