It is the first ship sunk by orcas this year. According to Maritime Rescue, at 9:00 this Sunday, the two crew members of the sailboat Alborán Cognac requested evacuation because they had suffered an encounter with these cetaceans 14 miles from Cape Spartel, at the southern entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, in Moroccan waters. and his boat had been damaged. The sailors explained that they had felt hits on the hull and that they had damage to the rudder and, what was more serious, a leak of water, which could send the 15-meter-long sailboat sinking. Given the urgency of the situation, a helicopter was mobilized and the oil tanker MT Lascaux, “which sails nearby, was asked to go to the position of the sailboat to provide assistance,” sources from the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility report.
At the same time, Morocco was notified, the crew members were told to put on their life jackets and turn on the AIS (Automatic Identification System), in addition to having “radio beacons ready” in case their location was necessary. One hour after giving the warning, at 10:00 in the morning, the two sailors were safe and sound on board the oil tanker, which took them to Gibraltar. Nothing could be done for the sailboat, which drifted and eventually sank.
Experts who study the behavior of these cetaceans in these waters assure that behind this new incident are the Iberian killer whales known as gladis, 15 specimens of the population of about 37 that live between the north of the Iberian Peninsula and the Strait of Gibraltar. The first documented event of this type occurred in May 2020 and, with this weekend, seven shipwrecks have already been recorded: five sailboats and two Moroccan fishing boats, the latter of which were in very poor condition.
Clashes occur mainly on the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, but also in adjacent areas of France and Morocco. It is the migratory route of these cetaceans, which follow tuna, their main source of food. The latest data from the Atlantic Orca Working Group (GTOA)an organization that contributes to its conservation and management, point out that at least 673 interactions have occurred (when the orcas approach the boat with or without contact), since the gladis They started with this unusual behavior.
Experts maintain that these are not intentional attacks, but rather a learned behavior that may be related to their curiosity, their love of gambling or some form of caution that leads them to want to stop the boat. “They are not going like a battering ram to attack the ship and sink it, and they could do so if that were their intention,” says Alfredo López, marine biologist and GTOA spokesperson. It is also not known if these attacks respond to any trigger that would trigger such atypical behavior for the species.
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Although there is no pattern, and their way of acting varies, they usually approach the boat stealthily, often without the crew noticing, to position themselves under the boat. Then they begin to touch it and hit the rudder with their heads, so that they can break it by using leverage. “A leak can even occur, and sailboats do not usually have adequate pumps to evacuate the amount of water that enters, so the boat can sink,” explains López.
The favorites of these 15 orcas, which are divided into at least four groups, are sailboats, both monohulls (72%) and catamarans (14%), with an average size of 12 meters, although interactions with motor boats are also observed. (6%), semi-rigid (5%) and fishing boats (3%), as indicated by GTOA.
What to do if the orcas approach the boat? Sailors ask themselves. The Ministry of Transport offers recommendations on its website for navigation by the area delimited on a map that they attach in the Gulf of Cádiz and the Strait of Gibraltar. These are measures to follow throughout the year, but especially between the months of April and August, when more interactions occur, and whenever possible and do not generate greater danger. First of all, they point out, you must avoid navigating through the area delimited on a map and, if you do, get as close to the coast as possible, within safety limits.
If the encounter is impossible, the best thing to do is not to stop the boat (whether motorized or sailing) and go to the coast, to shallower waters. At the same time, people on board must be prevented from approaching the bands, because the sudden movements caused by the orcas can cause injuries or falling into the sea. Nor should deterrent measures be used that could cause death, damage, inconvenience or concern to the whales, for example, by shooting flares at them, as has already happened on some occasions. And finally, notify the sighting or interaction with cetaceans to the nearest Rescue Coordination Center through VHF channels (channel 16 or working channel).
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