Orca Attack on Sailboat in Northwestern Spain: Crew Injured and Vessel Damaged

A sailboat off the coast of northwestern Spain was rammed by orcas, resulting in damage to the vessel’s rudder. The maritime rescue service had to tow the boat ashore following the incident. This is part of a series of boat rammings by orca pods along the coasts of Spain and Portugal, with scientists still trying to determine the reasons behind this behavior. During the towing operation, one of the sailboat’s crew members sustained a serious hand injury and had to be evacuated by helicopter to a hospital.

The sailboat, named Amidala, contacted the maritime rescue center on the Cape Finisterre peninsula in Galicia, reporting the damage to its rudder after being rammed by orcas. The crew, consisting of a man and a woman who are both Belgian nationals, faced challenging conditions with strong winds reaching up to 35 knots and waves as high as 3 meters. The towing operation took over five hours to complete due to the adverse weather conditions.

In a similar incident, orcas sank a sailing yacht after ramming it in the Strait of Gibraltar on the Moroccan side earlier in May. Despite being known as killer whales, orcas are actually part of the dolphin family. These endangered marine mammals can grow up to eight meters in length and weigh up to six tons as adults. The incidents involving orcas and boats highlight the need for further research and understanding of their behavior in these regions.

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