Spanish authorities ban yachts from stretch of water after several killer whale encounters

After multiple reports of strange encounters with killer whales, the Spanish transport ministry has ordered yachts smaller than 15 meters to steer clear of a stretch of water off the country's north-west coast. On Tuesday, September 22, the authorities banned boats from sailing close to the coast between Cape Prioriño Grande and Estaca de Bares point for 7 days.

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Spanish ministry takes action to protect humans and the whales

According to The Guardian report, the Spanish ministry statement clarified that the measure was taken in a bid to prevent further encounters with the whales that have damaged several sailing vessels in recent weeks. One of the first such encounters happened at the end of August when a Spanish naval yacht came across two killer whales and in the ensuing interaction lost a part of its rudder.

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As per reports, two weeks later an 11-metre vessel that was making its way to the UK steering had a similar encounter with killer whales which resulted in the vessel needing to be towed to the port. The encounters have reportedly only occurred two and eight nautical miles from the coast with small vessels. The decision take into account the safety of both the sailing vessels and the whales.

According to Bruno Díaz, a biologist at the local Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute, these disruptive killer whales are likely “immature teenage” and were therefore attracted to smaller yachts because they are similar in size. The biologist further added that humans and yachts are not the natural prey for the sea creature and the ones that damaged the sailing vessels just got carried away with their ‘playing’. Killer whales, also known as orcas, can weigh up to six tonnes once they are fully grown and can survive for up to 80 years in the wild.

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