Small boats have been ordered to avoid the coast between Barbate and Cape Trafalgar, following numerous incidents of Orcas ramming vessels.
The Government has said though the killer whales don’t frequent British Gibraltar Territorial waters, boat owners outside of these should follow the advice of the relevant authorities.
During the last year or so, incidents of Orcas ramming boats and often damaging them have become more frequent. Though incidents aren’t as frequent in BGTW, some have occurred in the Strait.
The most recent case was a superyacht that was rammed by a pod of killer whales, with damage to the rudder so severe that crew were brought to Gibraltar but the vessel was deemed too damaged for use.
Scientists have speculated that the unusual behavior could be a result of stress due to a scarcity of food caused by overfishing.
The action taken by Spanish authorities will limit boats of 15 metres of less from sailing within nine miles of the coast between Barbate and Cape Trafalgar.
The decision follows 56 incidents of orca encounters since the first one earlier this year in March.
In a statement, Spain’s Transport Ministry says that 25 of those incidents required the vessels to be towed into port due to such serious damage.
The restrictions will remain in place until the 20th August but is subject to review.
