Killer whales attack boats off Spain

AGGRESSIVE killer whales have attacked yachts off the coast of Galicia triggering a ban on smaller craft navigating a stretch of the Atlantic.

The orcas are feeding off migrating tuna but have baffled scientists with their sudden interest in sailing boats – experts are unsure whether the marine mammals are simply ramming vessels as playful behaviour, but shocked crew members have not found it entertaining.

The marine executive reported yachtsmen were facing a ‘ new and rare danger’ and according to Spain’s maritime search and rescue Salvamento Maritimo, there have been a string of incidents over the last month, including an ‘ attack’ on the Spanish Navy’s racing boat.

Scottish skipper Graeme Walker, his wife Moira and friend Stephen Robinson were aboard their 48ft yacht Promise 3 when she was targeted last week in the middle of a 1,600mile voyage from Almerimar in southern Spain to the Clyde coast in Scotland.

In a 45- minute ordeal, three killer whales attacked the yacht and bit a chunk out of the fibreglass rudder.

Forced into La Coruña for repairs, Graeme said: “I felt a thump on the boat and the helm was pulled out of my hand. I was not really sure what was happening, then one of the animals broke the surface.”

He admitted being worried. “You never know how these things are going to play out… none of us have ever been through anything like this before.”

He said two juvenile killer whales made the initial attack but were joined by a much larger orca off Cape Finisterre – they even prepared the life raft as the boat was spun round and rocked.

Over the radio, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre advised lowering the sail and switching off the engine believing the animals would lose interest after 10 minutes, but the orcas continues to bump the 12tonne boat for 45 minutes.

“The boat would literally spin round through 90 degrees when the animals came in. It was from side to side; when they actually bit on the rudder and started shaking the rudder, the wheel was spinning from side to side – you could not have touched it; you would have broken your arm.”

The unusual problem has been highlighted in the press; Graeme had read about it in The Guardian but did not realise incidents were so frequent - and the Spanish government last week temporarily banned boats of 15m or less from sailing close to the coast off Galicia.