Orcas Caught on Video Damage Two Yachts Off Spain in Less Than 24 Hours

The orcas in Spain are back in the headlines once again after two concerning incidents over the weekend.

Two sailing yachts had their rudders broken by orcas off the coast of Galicia, Spain, in separate incidents less than 24 hours apart.

As the boating community is now well aware, orcas near Spain and the Strait of Gibraltar have become an ongoing concern after seemingly learning to harass small vessels. The encounters first made headlines in the summer of 2020 and have since become a peculiar dilemma for boaters throughout the region. There have been over 750 documented interactions between orcas and boats since 2020 when scientists began tracking the phenomenon.

Orcas are now considered a permanent risk in the region. Scientists believe the encounters aren't predatory in nature but rather a source of amusement for the highly intelligent animals. The whales have also been observed teaching the behavior to their young, indicating the behavior is being passed on generationally. It's also believed to be spreading with encounters occurring as far north as France.

The first incident over the weekend involved the 13-metre (42-foot) Seika, which encountered a pod of orcas near Picamillo at the entrance to the Ría de Pontevedra on the evening of Saturday August 29. The yacht had just completed the Ignacio Montenegro Trophy regatta alongside roughly 30 other vessels and was sailing toward Baiona when the orcas began hitting the rudder.

Five Ukrainian crew members were aboard Seika at the time. Video recorded during the encounter shows orcas swimming beneath the yacht and repeatedly striking it from below. A large section of the rudder was broken off and resurfaced next to the vessel.

Gage Butler, a member of the Seika Racing sailing crew who shared the footage, said three or four orcas circled the yacht for nearly eight minutes. He estimated about half of the rudder was broken off.

Butler said in a social media post, “pretty sure they were juveniles just playing with the boat, which ended up breaking the rudder."

Butler also noted the behavior didn't appear malicious, saying “(i)t was so cool to see how smart these animals are and how they play and hunt as a pod. But at the same time my adrenaline was pumping while we were investigating the boat to see if we had any leaks in the hull. Luckily everyone was safe and there was no major damage to the boat. This was truly a once in a lifetime experience.”

Spain's Maritime Rescue service was alerted following the encounter. Seika was ultimately able to continue under its own power despite the damage. No one aboard the boat was injured.

The following day, Sunday, August 30, another yacht encountered orcas near the northern entrance to the Ría de Vigo, about 10-12 nautical miles further north along the Galician coast.

The yacht, identified by Spanish media as Moya, had two people aboard when the orcas once again damaged its rudder. Spain's Maritime Rescue service received an alert at approximately 1 p.m. and dispatched a rescue vessel named Salvamar Mirach to assist the Moya.

A nearby vessel named the Savana also reached the damaged yacht to provide assistance. In a helpful twist, a group of scientists studying orca behaviour were aboard Savana. The research vessel is equipped with metal rudders specifically designed to withstand encounters with the orcas.

An inspection of the Moya revealed no major damage and the yacht was able to make its way back to Baiona, escorted by Salvamar Mirach as a precaution. The two people aboard were not injured.

The Cruising Association, who tracks interactions between Iberian orcas and vessels around Spain and Gibraltar, has now reported more than 750 interactions since 2020. Around 250 boats have sustained damage, while at least nine vessels have sunk. Minor injuries to sailors have been reported with some encounters but there have been no deaths.

You can watch the encounter with the Seika below:

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