Spain has ordered vessels of 15 meters or less from sailing near the coast between Cape Trafalgar and the small town of Barbate after reports of more than 50 encounters with orcas, including as many as 25 incidents involving rudder failure in which boats had to be towed to shore.
The two-week prohibition is the second time in 13 months that Spain’s ministry of transport has taken action to address a spate of extraordinary orca encounters, last year’s ban applied to an area several hundred miles north. The most recent order was aimed at preventing “further incidents with orcas” the ministry said in a statement*
Reports of run-ins with the whales along the coast of Spain and Portugal began surfacing early last and this latest issued resolution is to help prevent further incidents with the orcas. Despite it being baffling orca behaviour towards vessels, the attacks are reported by those on board to be coordinated by the whales.
