ARCHIVED - Spanish sailors reveal what you should do if you meet a killer whale on the water
Would you know what to do if you met an orca while out in your boat?
Spain’s Salvamento Marítimo maritime rescue service has released advice for anyone who comes across orcas in their boat.
Confrontations between killer whales and boats in Spain are not uncommon, with a German sailboat being attacked by the animals this January and some drug smugglers even faking the believable tale of an orca attack as an excuse to get their merchandise into Spanish territory.
That’s why the marine rescue services have shared on Twitter all the secrets of how boat owners can deal with curious killer whales coming up to inspect their vessel.
“In interactions with killer whales,” they say, “it is advisable to turn off the engine, lower the sails, leave the rudder set straight, disconnect the automatic and turn off the depth sounder, be silent and do not lean out over the side of the boat.”
En interacciones con orcas, se aconseja parar la máquina, arriar velas, dejar el timón a la vía, desconectar el automático y apagar la sonda, estar en silencio y no asomarse. Las fotos son del 24 de abr. en Barbate, afectaron el timón y cogieron el cabo en la maniobra de remolque pic.twitter.com/R3Dwy4cwFd
— SALVAMENTO MARÍTIMO (@salvamentogob) May 3, 2022
In the same Twitter post, the Salvamento Marítimo shared photos of a boat whose rudder was damaged and line was snagged by the playful, powerful animals in Barbate, Cadiz on April 24.
Scientists in Spain have launched a study to investigate the rising incidence of killer whale attacks in the country, in order to determine why they happen and what can be done about them.
Image: Salvamento Marítimo
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