Since 2020 sailors cruising the Atlantic Iberian coast have had to consider another hazard, alongside passage planning and preparations – orca encounters.

Orcas have been interacting with small boats, causing damage to around 250 vessels and sinking eight – six sailing yachts and two fishing boats.

These mammals, also commonly known as killer whales, belong to the sub-order of toothed whales but are also the largest members of the dolphin family.

The population in the Iberian is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to low numbers, high neonate mortality and the status of its preferred prey, the Atlantic bluefin tuna, which was listed as endangered in 2019 when the Iberian orcas’s red listing was made; the Atlantic bluefin tuna population is now recovering.

According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, orcas are highly intelligent and in the wild can cover over 160km a day, foraging and socialising; they can coordinate hunting tactics and are extremely fast swimmers, with speeds recorded of up to 54km/h.

These facts are likely to leave most skippers with at least a dry mouth if they are planning to sail the Atlantic Iberian coast, which has been dubbed ‘Orca Alley’.

Collating the data on orca encounters

Recognising the growing scale of the problem for sailors, The Cruising Association (CA) began collaborating with the marine scientists at Grupo Trabajo Orca Atlantica (GTOA) in June 2022 to collate and share information and data on the Iberian orca movements.

John Burbeck, the CA’s orca project leader, said just three orcas were interacting with small boats initially; this grew to 14 orcas in 2021 and 15 by 2022.

“The orcas which are interacting with boats are a sub-group from a population of about 45, and the number of orcas in this sub-group has not grown since 2022. All 15 of them have been identified by the scientists at GTOA, although one has not been seen since the end of last season,” he said.

Photographs of each of their dorsal fins can be found on the GTOA website (orcaiberica.org/en) to help sailors identify them.

It’s understood that the orcas’ behaviour around boats – bumping the rudder and touching, bumping, or turning the boat – has been taught by the original three orcas, as their behaviour is largely determined by social learning.

Based on figures collated by the CA, 45 interactions were recorded between July and November 2020 along the Iberian Peninsula. With the increase of numbers in the orca sub-group, these rose to 145 recorded interactions in 2021,138 in 2022, 186 in 2023, and 43 between January and May 2024.

On average, orca encounters last around 25 minutes, although some have lasted for up to two hours.

Alfredo López from GTOA said this sub-group of orcas continues to interact with small boats “because they have transformed this behaviour into cultural and identity-based behaviour.”

“They are attracted to the yacht’s rudder as it moves the boat. The action on the rudder causes the boat to move so they can direct the boat where they want.”

Ultimately, no one knows why the orcas interact with the boats, although some scientists have concluded it is due to play, and as the Atlantic bluefin tuna population has recovered, the orcas, especially the juveniles, have had more time to explore new behaviour, rather than being preoccupied with catching prey.

What is clear from the data is orca interactions are more likely between June to September; traditionally, this is the peak time for Iberian orca sightings and boat traffic.

According to the GTOA, 80% of interactions happen between 0800-1800; with 20% at night.

Alfredo López said 91% of interactions involved 39ft-49ft/12m-15m sailing yachts and catamarans, although the orcas have touched all types of boats, including fishing vessels and RIBS from 16ft-105ft/5m-32m.

Not all interactions have resulted in boat damage. Interactions are also unpredictable, so it’s prudent to plan for an orca encounter, even if you’re sailing outside of the peak period.

It’s unclear how long the behaviour of the orcas will continue.

“It is possible that just as they started suddenly, the orcas may suddenly stop,” said John Burbeck. “The other likely solution, if it continues, is that there’ll be an effective deterrent yachts can carry. In the meantime, the Spanish and Portuguese Governments and all the agencies are working together to provide advice and information until the final solution occurs. But it is possible that, just like stormy weather, sailors will have to continue to prepare for an orca encounter and treat it as an additional risk when sailing in that part of the world.”

How to avoid orca encounters

Thankfully, for crew sailing these waters, there’s plenty of information available to try and avoid the orcas.

The GTOA website has dorsal fin ID photos, a map of interactions and a traffic light risk map warning system for all affected areas based on recent interactions and locations, and advice.

In March 2023, it launched its app, GT Orcas, which records the latest sightings and interactions. Another app – Orcinus – also does the same.

Get GT Orcas on Google Play

Get GT Orcas on Apple Store

Get Orcinus on Apple Store.

Get Orcinus on Google Play

There are also several Facebook groups where sailors share sightings, interactions and advice, with Orca Attack Reports one of the biggest. Others include Orca Attack – Iberia, Orca Interactions Spain, Portugal and France and Orcas Attacks Solutions.

Orcas are protected by law in Spanish and Portuguese waters.

Currently, the Spanish authorities are investigating the crew of a yacht after they were observed and recorded shooting flares at orcas in August 2023, resulting in their boat being detained when it reached Almerimar.

When navigating waters where orcas are likely, sailors are advised to stay in waters under 20m deep and close to the shore, if conditions and navigational hazards permit, as these mammals generally prefer deeper waters.

In March 2023, the Spanish authorities no longer recommended stopping the boat if orcas are present.

Instead, skippers should motor away as fast as possible towards shallower waters ‘until the orcas lose interest’.

However, the GTOA still believes turning off the engine and effectively ‘playing dead’ in the water is the best way to de-escalate any interaction.

“The advice to sailors from GTOA, the Spanish and Portuguese authorities and from the CA, is to do your research to find out where the orcas have been sighted by using the apps and then look at the CA data and, if you can, avoid those areas,” said John Burbeck.

Avoidance is the first step

“If you can’t, then either go a long way offshore or very close to the shore, in less than 20m of water, when conditions are suitable.

Avoidance is the key measure. But once an interaction has started, there is no guaranteed solution.

It’s a question of trying one of the options that others have used to see what works for you.

It’s also vital that you contact the authorities as soon as an interaction starts, so the emergency services can be on standby in case they’re needed.”

With the protected status of orcas, finding a deterrent is no easy task. But a new acoustic deterrent device, Targeted Acoustic Startle Technology (TAST) could be the answer.

Created by GenusWave, TAST is designed to trigger the instinctive startle reflex most animals have when they hear a particular sound.

This reflex, governed by the autonomic nervous system, induces an involuntary flight response, compelling targeted animals to flee.

TAST was originally developed to deter seals from fishing nets and has been modified to work on orcas. Sea trials, specifically aimed at deterring orcas from fishing boats in north Norway, have been carried out with positive results, particularly as the device’s sound caused no harm to the orcas.

Sea trials off the coast of Portugal were due to start in October 2023.

“Two or three devices will be tested, but for the sea trials to happen, the orcas need to be consistently off the Portuguese coast and, so far, the orcas have not played! Instead, they’ve been moving up and down the coast so it’ll be a little while yet before it happens, but everyone is keen to get these trials underway,” said Burbeck.

For the time being, gathering data on orca movements and interactions is the key focus, and sailors are being asked to contribute.

“If you experience an orca interaction, fill out a report form online,” explained Burbeck. “The problem with social media posts is that the information disappears very quickly. Although the GTOA website gives you the dates and locations of incidents, there is no information about the actual interaction. The CA’s reporting system is the only one that holds all of the data. But we do need crews to continue to feed it.”

Burbeck said they were keen for skippers who follow the advice of motoring away towards shallow water to avoid an orca interaction to record their experience with the CA, so the effectiveness of this tactic could be assessed.

Uneventful passages should also be submitted, outlining what the boat crew did to avoid an interaction so “lessons can be learned for others”.

The reports can be accessed by CA and non-CA members alike, and all skippers are requested to submit passage reports at theca.org.uk/orcas/reports.

The Cruising Association’s tips for avoiding orca encounters

• Keep away from known orca locations by reviewing the latest GTOA interaction maps, monitoring Facebook groups and GT Orcas and Orcinus reporting apps
• Use the CA’s orcas reporting database and comments library to see what other skippers have done
• Have contact details of the emergency services: VHF Ch16, telephone 112 and contact details for the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Maritime Search and Rescue and Coastguard of the waters you are transiting, telephone: France 196/Portugal112/Spain 900 202 202

There are still not enough reports to the CA to make definitive conclusions, but the following is useful information.

• Depth/distance offshore There may be a reduced risk of experiencing an interaction within two miles offshore particularly in less than 20m water depth. Remember sailing close to shore in shallower waters adds risk due to tide, current, wind and swell, especially if your boat is disabled
• Autopilot Some advice suggests turning off the depth sounder and autopilot to avoid attracting orcas with the noises emitted. The CA is monitoring the data for autopilot use to identify any potential patterns. It is possible the noise of certain types of autopilot may act as a deterrent. Rudder impact can be the first indication of an interaction, which can damage the autopilot.
• Daylight conditions Interactions happen both during the day and night. Interactions at night would make rescue more difficult, should the worst happen.

Deterrent measures

No reliable, legal deterrent measures are yet proven, but the following have been reported to the CA. Further details can be found at theca.org.uk/orcas 

• Reversing in the presence of orcas is considered illegal by certain authorities, except in the case of emergency and always illegal when there is intent to harm an orca. Reversing would be dangerous in many open water conditions and it’s for the skipper to determine whether it is safe to attempt this manoeuvre.
• Motor away In 2023 the Spanish authorities recommended, where safe to do so, navigating ‘as close as possible to the coast’ and in the event of an interaction to motor away as fast as possible towards shallower waters ‘until the orcas lose interest’.
• Stop From an early stage GTOA indicated that ‘playing dead’ would calm orcas’ adrenaline and heart rate. GTOA sought input from a behavioural scientist who studied orcas in captivity and advised that orcas enjoy eliciting a response. Keeping a low profile could minimise their interest.
• Sand Orcas use echolocation to ‘see’ their surroundings, navigate and hunt. There are unverified reports that some fishermen throw sand in the water to disrupt the orcas’ echolocation ‘vision’. This has been used by some skippers, one skipper reporting that spreading 5-8kg of sand very quickly deterred an interaction. Sand is harmless to orcas.
• Noise The use of deterrent pingers is illegal without a licence but has been carried out by some skippers. Reports of their use to the CA have confirmed failure, but it is possible they were not used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. The GTOA advises that pingers can cause hearing damage to orcas and it does not encourage their use. There are also reports of sailors generating noise on board, such as banging pots and pans on the stern rail, banging iron bars or flogging a genoa. Half of the incidents where this tactic was deployed were successful in deterring the orcas.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston – ‘There were two of them, taking turns to ram our rudder

The patron of The Cruising Association, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, shares his experience of an orca encounter

“We were eight miles off Cape Finisterre heading south towards Madeira on a Farr 56 cruiser, built in Sweden displacing around 24 tons, with a crew of seven.

It was 24 November 2022, and we were behind schedule owing to a series of Atlantic storms that had forced us into Brest and A Coruña for shelter. Having cleared A Coruña, we were motor sailing with a south-westerly Force 4-5, so our speed was about 4 knots over the ground.

“At 0935 hours a pod of orcas – around eight of them – appeared and started to swim along our starboard side. Their leader was a huge ‘mother’, perhaps 15-16ft long. There were two of medium size and then five youngsters.

“The watch on deck called us all up so we could watch the orcas swimming with us.

“Then it all suddenly changed. One of the medium-sized orcas charged in and butted the rudder hard. Andrew, on watch, quickly switched off the autopilot; just as well as the steering wheel was being heavily jolted each time the orcas struck the rudder. And now there were two of them, both medium-sized, maybe 8ft long, taking turns to come in and ram our rudder.

“They were hitting it very hard, enough to make our steering wheel flick very quickly with each attack. We took our hands off the wheel as we did not want anyone to be hurt.

“With a top speed of 7 knots under power, there was no way we could outrun the pod. The ‘mother’ continued to swim alongside, just watching, while the two medium-sized orcas did the damage and the young orcas watched. The whole boat shook with each attack.

“We stopped the engine in case it was upsetting them but it made no difference. Eventually, a strong steering connecting rod broke. By this time we had no sails set and the engine was stopped, so we were Not Under Command as far as the Collision Regulations were concerned, and there was nothing we could do about it.

“Fortunately, there was no other shipping traffic near us. We were disabled, but about 20 minutes later the orcas lost interest and swam away.

“We shipped the emergency tiller and cautiously started the engine to get to the nearest port, Vigo, for repairs. Fortunately, we were not followed.

“Were the orcas playing? I don’t think so. The boat is stout, with a strong rudder and to hit her that hard must have hurt, but it didn’t stop them hammering into our rudder until it was left swinging freely.”

If you are sailing along the Atlantic coasts of France, Portugal and Spain and through the Gibraltar Strait, it’s crucial to be aware of the possibility and potential risks of orca encounters

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