Overview

• A pod of three to four Iberian orcas led by Gladis has been increasingly interacting with recreational vessels along northern Spanish coasts.
• On July 25, Salvamento Marítimo’s Salvamar Castor towed a Llanes sailboat 50 minutes after orca strikes damaged its rudder.
• Earlier this month in the Basque Country, a French-flagged yacht lost its rudder and suffered a hull breach before being towed to Guetaria.
• The Directorate General of the Merchant Marine recommends that vessels stay moving near the coast, steering clear of orca groups to reduce collision risk.
• In May, the pod struck and sank a recreational vessel in the Strait of Gibraltar, marking the first ship loss attributed to orca interactions.