Orcas sink another yacht o Gibraltar
In a story that is becoming terrifyingly common, another yacht was sunk this week by a gang of orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar. And new research from scientists at the University of British Columbia shows that these killer whales are so efficient at breathing, they can perform a dive on just a single breath of air.
The researchers combined drone footage with data from tags suction-cupped to 11 orcas off the coast of B.C. to gather information on the animals’ habits. They found that the whales in their study took about 1.2 breaths per minute while resting, and 1.5 to 1.8 per minute while travelling or hunting.
In comparison, humans take about 15 breaths per minute while at rest, and between 40 and 60 when exercising. “It’s the equivalent of holding your breath and running to the grocery store, shopping, and coming back before breathing again,” said co-author Dr. Beth Volpov in a news release on the study, which was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
The study confirmed what scientists had long suspected; that orcas take just a single breath between dives. “Killer whales are like sprinters who don’t have the marathon endurance of blue and humpback whales to make deep and prolonged dives,” said co-author Dr. Andrew Trites. However, they make the most of each breath.
That energy was on full display last Sunday, when the Alboran Cognac, a 15-metre sailing yacht travelling in the narrow body of water that separates southern Spain from North Africa, was attacked and eventually sunk by a pod of orcas. It was the fifth sinking in just three years in the region around southwest Europe. No humans have been injured or killed in the attacks.
The yacht’s two-person crew radioed for help and was soon rescued by a passing oil tanker. But the vessel’s hull had sustained serious damage and the boat began to take on water, which eventually caused it to sink, according to news reports.
A group of around 40 orcas lives off the coasts of Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Gibraltar, and has been attacking boats across this region since 2020. Most occur between May and August in or near the Strait of Gibraltar, but a month ago a group of whales was seen circling a large yacht off the coast of northern Spain, suggesting they were spreading out their activities further and earlier than in other years.
Spain’s Maritime Safety and Rescue Society has put out a release warning sailors of the attacks, with a map of areas to avoid if possible, and advice to stay close to the shore, within safe limits.
The translated statement adds: “It is prohibited to use deterrent measures against orcas that may cause death, damage, annoyance or concern to these cetaceans.”