A group of orcas attacked, this Sunday, May 12 around 9 a.m. local time (10 a.m. in France), a 15-meter sailboat in the Strait of Gibraltar, off the coast of Cape Spartel. The group, made up of several cetaceans, heavily attacked and damaged the sailboat Alboran Cognac, a Sun Odyssey 519. Damage to the rudder and a leak were reported by the two boaters, before they left the ship. according to Reuters. The boat was in Moroccan waters at the time of the incident.
Reuters adds that “passengers reported feeling sudden thumps on the hull and rudder before water began to seep inside the ship.” The tanker Lascaux, which was in the area, then diverted, at the request of the Spanish maritime authorities, to provide assistance to the crew. The sailboat drifted before sinking.
Following this new disturbing event, regularly described as an “attack”, the Sea Shepherd France association also wanted to react on its social networks:
“Many media continue to characterize these interactions as “attacks”, although no aggressive intention can be attributed to the orcas who have NEVER attacked a human being in a natural environment, even when the latter may have been in water with them. The coming months will be intense and our presence in the area aims both to ensure that no reprisals are made against the orcas (we hear and read quite worrying speeches from certain boaters and certain fishermen), advise sailors passing through the area and potentially rescue anyone who may need assistance. As a reminder: the Iberian orca subpopulation is CRITICALLY IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION with around thirty individuals surviving. The objective of the mission is to establish an up-to-date catalog of the population and to better understand the reasons for their interest in sailboat rudders. »