Latest news with #SpanishCoastguard
The Independent
23-07-2025
- The Independent
Sailors rescued by coastguard after orcas attack yacht
British sailors have been advised to exercise caution after a sailboat was rammed by orcas off the coast of northern Spain. Two French sailors were rescued by the Spanish coastguard on Monday after their yacht was attacked by killer whales near Deba, close to Bilbao. While rare in the Basque Country, similar incidents are more common further south in the Strait of Gibraltar, known as "orca alley". Experts recommend specific actions if encountering orcas, including turning off boat engines, lowering sails, and avoiding loud noises, especially after Iberian orcas were sighted in Cornish waters. Despite being called killer whales, orcas are dolphins, and experts suggest their behaviour of ramming rudders is likely due to boredom rather than aggression.
The Independent
23-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
British sailors warned after killer whales ram boat off coast of northern Spain
British sailors are being warned to be cautious after a sailboat was rammed by orcas off the coast of northern Spain. Two sailors on a French yacht were rescued by the Spanish coastguard on Monday after reporting being attacked by killer whales at around 2pm. The incident happened around two miles from the town of Deba, near Bilbao, local media reports. Though the pair were taken to shore safely, rescuers said incidents in the region were uncommon and that they had not been called to assist in an orca attack in the Basque Country before. Such incidents are more common further south in the 'orca alley' of the Strait of Gibraltar. British experts have now advised sailors to be cautious and familiarise themselves with what to do if they encounter orcas, as the attack in Spain comes just weeks after Iberian orcas were first spotted in Cornish waters. Professor Volker Deecke, professor of wildlife conservation at the University of Cumbria, did not rule out that such incidents seen near Spain could happen in British waters. He told The Telegraph: "UK sailors transiting the hotspots should definitely familiarise themselves with the guidance. The same guidance applies for sailors encountering any killer whales in Cornish waters." Guidance includes turning off boat engines and lowering sails if orcas are spotted. Skippers are also advised to turn off autopilot and echo sounders, and not to make loud noises. Other recommendations include staying in shallow waters, which makes it harder for orcas to ram rudders of boats. Despite being referred to as killer whales, orcas belong to the dolphin family. They can grow up to eight metres long and weigh up to six tonnes. Most experts believe orcas are not displaying aggression during the incidents and are instead attacking out of boredom. 'For some unknown reason, the killer whales have developed a penchant for breaking the rudders of sailboats and once they have achieved this, they leave the boat alone,' Prof Volker Deeke told The Telegraph. 'During interactions, the animals remain cool, calm and collected without any of the behavioural signs of aggression such as splashing, or vocalisations.'
Telegraph
22-07-2025
- General
- Telegraph
British sailors warned after rare orca attack in Bay of Biscay
Sailors encountering killer whales in British waters have been warned to switch off their engines and lower their sails or risk being rammed after orcas attacked a yacht in Spain. Two sailors were saved by the Spanish coastguard after their vessel, Azurea, was attacked by the whales off the coast of the Basque country on Monday afternoon. The French yacht was rammed at about 2pm local time, two nautical miles from the Basque coast and the town of Deba. The coastguard rescued the pair, one of whom was aged 60, after they sent out a mayday distress call. Both were taken 'safe and sound' to the port of Getaria. Rescuers said such incidents were 'uncommon' so high up in the Atlantic. While such attacks are rare in the Basque Country, they are a well-known phenomenon further south in Galicia and in the 'orca alley' of the Strait of Gibraltar, where boats have been sunk. The orcas approach from the stern and hit the rudder before losing interest once they have stopped the boat in a phenomenon that scientists have struggled to fully explain. It is thought the orcas responsible for the incidents number 15 out of a pod of 50 whales. This latest incident comes the same month that wildlife experts confirmed the first ever sighting of Iberian orcas in Cornish waters. In 2023, a killer whale barged into a fishing boat near Shetland in Scotland in what was the first and so far only orca attack in British waters since the phenomenon began. 'For some unknown reason, the killer whales have developed a penchant for breaking the rudders of sailboats and once they have achieved this, they leave the boat alone,' Prof Volker Deeke, professor of wildlife conservation at the University of Cumbria, said. He told The Telegraph the incidents should not be viewed as attacks. 'During interactions, the animals remain cool, calm and collected without any of the behavioural signs of aggression such as splashing, or vocalisations,' he said. But he said it 'can not be ruled out' that similar incidents to those seen around the Iberian Peninsula could occur in British waters in the future. He added: 'UK sailors transiting the hotspots should definitely familiarise themselves with the guidance. The same guidance applies for sailors encountering any killer whales in Cornish waters.' The guidance given to sailors in the Strait of Gibraltar includes to stop the boat engine and lower the sails immediately if orcas are spotted, turn off autopilot and echo sounders and not to make loud noises in an effort to scare them away. Other advice includes avoiding hot spots in the first place and, most crucially, to stay in shallow waters of about 20 meters in depth, where orcas do not like to swim. Dr Javier Almunia, director of the Loro Parque Foundation, told The Telegraph: 'The behaviour has reduced, at least in the Gibraltar Strait, by around 90 per cent following the recommendations of the Spanish authorities.' Spain recommends that boats do not stop but instead go full speed towards shallower waters, which makes it harder for the orcas to headbutt the rudders. Dr Almunia said that if the interaction in the Basque Country was confirmed 'it can be explained by the same animals moving around the Iberian Peninsula'. 'So far there's no evidence of different pods to the ones that are visiting Gibraltar in summer are learning this behaviour,' he said in comments that will reassure British sailors. 'There's no evidence of the behaviour moving on or being transferred to a different pod.' Marine biologists believe that the whales may be attacking out of boredom. Other theories are that the whales are exhibiting territorial, defensive, or playful behaviour. It has also been suggested that a female orca called White Gladis taught gangs of the apex predators to attack the boats after being traumatised by a collision with a boat, or being trapped in illegal fishing nets. The first reports of aggressive orcas off the Iberian coast began in May 2020. In September of that year, Spanish authorities banned boats from setting sail from the country's north-western tip after 29 orca attacks were registered. At least six vessels have been sunk since 2021, including two last year. Two crew members were rescued unharmed in May 2024 when the 15‑metre sailing yacht Alboran Cognac sank in the Strait of Gibraltar after repeated ramming by Iberian orcas. In July, the British yacht Bonhomme William sank in the Strait of Gibraltar after it was attacked at night. All three on board were rescued. Two attacks in quick succession in August 2023 were the first ramming incidents involving orcas reported in waters off the Basque Country. A pod of about five orcas struck the rudder and hull of a sailboat about 20 miles north of Zumaia without causing major damage, followed by an incident involving a French trimaran travelling about 18 miles north of Ondarroa. Both boats needed only minor repairs.
Daily Mirror
20-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Major hunt launched at sea for missing Brit woman who vanished after hiring boat
Spanish police and coastguards have launched a major search operation for a British woman who vanished after hiring a boat on the paradise island of Formentera. Friends of the 29-year-old raised the alarm after she failed to return the 15-foot motor boat she had hired yesterday evening as scheduled. A Spanish Coastguard helicopter is said to be assisting vessels taking part in the sea search. Police officers are also understood to be conducting a land search. The company the missing Brit hired the boat from has been named locally as Helix Charter Formentera. The vessel she left Formentera port La Salina in has been described as a cream-coloured Quicksilver 475 Axess with a Mercury outboard motor.
