SPAIN (TND) — A boat sank in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar over the weekend after an unknown number of orcas rammed into the vessel with two passengers on board.
The 10-meter-long boat sank 14 miles from Cape Spartel and the passengers were able to notify the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Tarifa for help, according to Spain's maritime rescue services.
The passengers reportedly told officials they felt sudden blows to the hull and rudder before water began seeping into the boat.
A passing oil tanker was able to rescue the passengers with the help of Moroccan authorities.
Per the BBC, scientists are not sure why the highly intelligent mammals would sink a boat but said they could be displaying "copycat" or "playful" behavior.
President of the Whale Sanctuary Project and neuroscientist Lori Marino previously told the BBC "There's never been a case of an orca harming a human being in the wild."
"If they really wanted to do damage and harm the people on the boat they could easily do that," she added.
Spain's maritime rescue services recommended several ways to handle the situation if you come into contact with orcas while boating:
- If an interaction occurs, do not stop the boat and navigate towards the coast and shallow waters.
- Do not approach the sides of the boat.
- Always report the incident to officials even if the boat is not damaged.
According to GT Atlanta Orca (GTOA), disruptive behavior was first observed in 2020 when juvenile whales started to interact mainly with sailboats.
Between July and November 2020, 52 interactions were recorded between the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar and Galicia (NW Peninsula), eventually reaching 207 interactions in 2022.
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