Overview
- A member of the public alerted 112 Galicia at 8:40 a.m. on Monday after finding a large whale beached on Playa de Sabón in Arteixo and emergency services immediately mobilized.
- Coordinated crews from Cemma, Salvamento Marítimo, Policía Local, Guardia Civil, Protección Civil, lifeguards and volunteers used slings, jet skis and a Salvamar vessel to tow the whale offshore over about three hours.
- Technicians observed a scrape on the tail and marks on the dorsal fin that led them to raise a preliminary hypothesis of a possible orca attack, though that theory remains unconfirmed.
- Rescue teams released the whale once sea conditions allowed and the animal swam away; crews remain on alert while specialists continue to assess injuries and search for further evidence.
- The incident follows other cetacean strandings on the A Coruña coast and highlights routine factors investigators consider such as tidal shifts, navigational disorientation and predator interactions.