Orca Attack Sinks Sailboat off Moroccan Coast Near Gibraltar Strait

"They struck the rudder for 45 minutes, causing major damage and leaks. Despite the captain and crew’s attempts to bring the yacht back to port, assisted by the rescue teams, it sank near the entrance to the port of Tanger-Med" on October 31, explains Morskie Mile, a tourism company specializing in the commercial operation of cruises and yachts around the world, and offering a wide range of destinations, including the Strait of Gibraltar, in a post on its social networks. It will add that the crew emerged unscathed from the incident and is now in Spain.

This incident raises many questions because it occurs outside the usual season - spring/summer - during which these animals feed on tuna in the Strait of Gibraltar area. Generally, the red tuna migrate between April and May from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean to spawn and reproduce. Fishermen and orcas take advantage of this migration to capture them. According to experts operating in the waters of the strait, there is now a stable population in the region that has even given birth on site. This conclusion is based on the monitoring of these animals, such as that carried out by the Turmares company based in Tarifa.

In total, 14 orca specimens, all females, damage or deform the rudders of sailboats near the coasts of Campo de Gibraltar, according to a census carried out by the ORCA Cádiz project, an association whose mission is to raise awareness about the situation of orcas in the Iberian Peninsula and especially in the strait. "If this was a defensive response, this behavior would be perpetrated by adults who are protecting themselves and their young from a potential threat, but this is not the case. Only 2 adult females are involved, against 12 young who actively participate," comments the association, stating that the female orcas use the sailboat rudders to teach their young how to catch tuna.