Killer whales damage another yacht in latest attack off Spain

Two people had to be rescued after orcas disabled their yacht near the coast of Galicia

A Swedish yacht has become the latest boat to run into trouble after an encounter with killer whales off Spain's north coast, with rescuers called in after the vessel's rudder was badly damaged.

The incident happened on Friday July 24 around 13 miles northwest of Punta Candelaria, near the fishing town of Celeiro on the Galician coast.

The 14-metre yacht, Vai, was carrying two people when a pod of orcas repeatedly struck the rudder, leaving the crew unable to steer. They issued a Mayday call and were later towed safely into port at Viveiro by the Spanish Coastguard.

The rescue came just a day after an even more dramatic encounter in the same part of Spain.

On Thursday, another yacht, Idem, began taking on water after its rudder was destroyed in an orca encounter more than a mile off Estaca de Bares, the northernmost point of mainland Spain. The two people on board were rescued by a nearby boat before the yacht eventually sank.

Three other yachts also reported encounters with orcas that day. In two cases the crews managed to continue sailing despite damage, while another vessel also needed assistance after its rudder was hit.

The waters off Galicia have become one of the hotspots for these unusual interactions in recent years. Scientists believe the behaviour is limited to a small group of Iberian orcas and appears to involve them targeting yacht rudders rather than attacking people.

One leading theory is that it began after a negative encounter with a boat, with younger whales then copying the behaviour, although researchers say there's still no definitive explanation.

Despite the dramatic incidents, there has never been a recorded case of an orca injuring a person during these encounters.