killer whale sightings and attacks ships in the Strait of Gibraltar and off the coast of Portugal growing and occurring almost dailyaccording to the portal killer whales.pt.

According to the interactive map published on this website by Rui Alves, this month there were a total of 22 sightings and attacks in the area Where does Gladys live? a killer whale that apparently teaches other whales to take revenge on humans who travel on sailboats.

interviewed pbsAlves assured: “We have one incident every day, average. There are days when there are two or three of us.”

Recently, two members of the ship’s crew called don’t take it to heart needed the help of maritime rescue personnel after they your boat was left without a rudder after being hit due to interaction with a group of killer whales in the waters of Barbate (Cádiz).

According to information provided by the Marine Rescuer Europe Press On June 9, the sailboat was 22 miles southwest of Barbate and gave its first warning at 15:30 that day. Interaction with a group of killer whales caused some damage to the pleasure boat, that he was left without rudders and with an idle engine, except that he did not have a leak.

Faced with this phenomenon, the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Development invited seafarers a car instead of a float if the interaction was to take placeas well as preventing people on board from approaching the sides and protecting yourself in the safe areas of the boat in case of sudden movements and, above all, not stopping the boat, but instead aim it in shallow water until killer whales lose interest in it.

The ministry also recommended that, in order to avoid meetings, move as close to shore as possible within safety limits. He also said that these guidelines have been agreed with the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Population Affairs and are in line with regulations establishing measures to protect cetaceans.

Also, in order to have as much information as possible before sailing, it was published satellite map of killer whales provided by Transición Ecológica, which will be updated weekly as cetacean location information becomes available.

In addition, as long as it does not pose a danger to crew members or the animal, Spanish authorities have called for photographs of killer whales. for better accounting and identification of these animals.

According to a study in the journal marine Mammal Science, received by the portal living science, reports of aggressive encounters with killer whales off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula began in May 2020. and they are becoming more frequent.

“The attacks appear to be directed primarily at sailing vessels and follow a clear pattern, cwith killer whales approaching from the stern to hit the rudder and then losing interest once they have successfully brought the boat to a halt“, shows a portal dedicated to science.

According to scientists who conducted the study, young killer whales could study the behavior Gladys, who in turn developed this behavior after a “critical moment of agony”. for example, a collision with a boat or a capture during illegal fishing.