Sailors have been warned not to go out to sea following a recent spate of terrifying orca attacks off the Spanish coast.
The coastguard advised sailors in Galicia to remain in the harbor after receiving reports of whales ramming the rudders of boats in far shallower waters than usual.
One of the attacks happened on Saturday at Vilaxoan, a busy fishing and boating area in the Ria de Arousa, an estuary not known for encounters with orcas, The Times reports.
Most reported attacks since 2020 have been in deeper waters in less busy areas along the Atlantic coast of Galicia and near the Strait of Gibraltar, where orcas traditionally follow bluefin tuna migrations.
Orcas were not known to interact with boats but reports of Iberian pods ramming into and damaging vessels have surged in recent years, suggesting the behavior is becoming more common.
