The yacht Idem sank last week following a whale attack. Photo: Salvamento Maritimo
Orcas hate boats. Well, the ones in Spain do, at least. Last week, a pod of the ocean mammals disabled, damaged, and destroyed a number of vessels – the latest in a long-running feud between cetaceans and watercraft.
The trouble started Thursday when, as Spanish news outlet SUR reports, four craft were targeted. Around 5 p.m., the yacht Idem was attacked just over a mile off Estaca de Bares, located at the northernmost point of Spain. The craft’s rudder was destroyed and it began to sink, prompting a rescue of the two people onboard (who escaped from the ordeal unharmed). According to mayor Alfredo Dovale, a private boat attempted to tow the yacht to shore, but was unable to recover it before it sank.
However, that was not the end of it. “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,” added the Spanish Coast Guard. Another craft had its rudder rendered inoperable, and a third was attacked, but didn’t receive any significant damage.
The orcas struck again the following day, this time smashing the rudder of a 14-meter Swedish-flagged vessel named Vai. A Spanish coastguard vessel responded to a mayday call from the yacht and towed it to nearby Viveiro.
This is merely the latest in a long string of orca attacks, spanning years. Since 2020, killer whales have regularly accosted boats around the Iberian Peninsula, with hundreds of attacks reported each year. There are various theories as to exactly why they have taken to doing this, with some theorizing the behavior is revenge for a vessel strike, while others characterize the attacks as “play behavior.”
