In recent months we have witnessed several orca attacks on ships off the European coast. This morning they have reported from the organization of the Copa del Rey Mapfre sailing that a boat has been attacked by a group of orcas this time already deep in the Mediterranean, unlike other episodes of orca attacks that had occurred in the Atlantic. The sailboat was heading to Palma to participate in the Copa del Rey.
The Kapote Tercero, a Sun Fast 37, owned by the owner Ignacio González Camacho, registered in the ORC 3 category, was forced to take refuge in Estepona to assess damage after suffering a collision with cetaceans.
The ship's crew is reportedly safe with no personal injuries. They were towed by Salvamento Marítimo, since they did not have control of the boat and the damage is being evaluated to see if they can reach the islands for the regatta.
This new case of incident with killer whales that took place last night is added to the list of attacks carried out by these mammals in recent months, although the main difference is that this time it has occurred in the Mediterranean Sea. Until now, all the attacks have taken place on the Atlantic coast, so this fact opens a new front in the fight against these practices that are spreading alarmingly.
About a month ago, the crew of two Ocean Race boats experienced a terrifying episode as they passed through the Strait of Gibraltar. The sailors were accosted by a group of killer whales which repeatedly struck the hull of the ship although, fortunately, there were no injuries and the vessels also suffered no significant damage.
In the month of May of this year, three orcas sank a sailboat near Gibraltar in the most serious attack of the 20 that had been recorded this year so far. The Swiss ship Champagne was sunk at the entrance to the port of Barbate (Cádiz) as a result of the damage caused by three killer whales in a very violent attack that left no one injured.
