Killer Whales Attack Boat Again

Two French sailors were rescued off the coast of northern Spain after their boat was rammed by orcas.

They were taken safely to shore by the Spanish coastguard after the killer whales attacked their boat’s rudder around two miles from the town of Deba, near Bilbao, according to several local media reports.

A pod of orcas made headlines in 2023 for their repeated attacks off the Strait of Gibraltar at Spain’s southern tip.

Why it Matters

Rescuers have said orca attacks like this are uncommon in the Basque region, close to France, where they had never before been called to assist in such circumstances.

This has sparked questions about whether this is a one-off or the start of more attacks.

The recurrence of these encounters is raising questions about animal behavior, the risks for boaters, and the future of human—orca interactions in a rapidly changing sea environment.

Newsweek has contacted the Spanish coastguard, via email, for comment.

What To Know

On July 21 two French sailors were rescued off the coast of Deba, in Spain’s Basque Country after their 10-meter yacht lost steering following an encounter with two killer whales, said the sources, including Cadena SER.

According to the Spanish maritime safety agency Salvamento Marítimo, the sailors issued a distress call when their rudder was broken, leaving them adrift, though they did not take on water. The rescue vessel Salvamar Orión towed them safely to the port of Getaria.

Researchers and sailors have reported a pattern of orcas approaching from behind and targeting boat rudders. If the vessel is immobilized, the whales often lose interest.

British wildlife conservation professor Volker Deecke warned British sailors to be cautious, especially in orca hotspots like the “orca alley” of the Strait of Gibraltar.

“For some unknown reason, the killer whales have developed a penchant for breaking the rudders of sailboats and once they have achieved this, they leave the boat alone,” he told The Telegraph.

Orcas have been causing problems for years in the Strait of Gibraltar and around the Iberian coast, but these attacks have intensified and spread in recent years.

Data shows the attacks peaking in 2022 and making headlines in 2023 but have been common since 2020.

What People Are Saying

Captain Dan Kriz, who has been ambushed at least twice by the same pod of orcas, previously told Newsweek: “There is not much one can do. They are very powerful and smart … First time, we could hear them communicating under the boat. This time, they were quiet, and it didn’t take them that long to destroy both rudders. Looks like they knew exactly what they are doing. They didn’t touch anything else.”

Biologist Alfredo López Fernandez, from the University of Aveiro in Portugal and a representative of the Grupo de Trabajo Orca Atlántica (Atlantic Orca Working Group), previously told LiveScience: “The orcas are doing this on purpose, of course, we don’t know the origin or the motivation, but defensive behavior based on trauma, as the origin of all this, gains more strength for us every day.”

What Happens Next

Spanish authorities continue to monitor incidents, issue advisories during peak activity periods from May to August, and advocate boaters’ compliance with best-practice guidelines to avoid escalating confrontations.

Scientists remain divided on the causes behind this pattern, proposing theories from learned behavior due to trauma, playful social learning, or even practice for hunting.

Both researchers and conservationists continue to emphasize the importance of protecting the endangered orca subpopulation while safeguarding sailors. Increased surveillance, further study, and public education campaigns are anticipated as both communities seek sustainable coexistence.