Orca Safety Warning Whatsapp Group

[Franziska]

Hi,

I like to draw the attention of yachts heading towards the Mediterranean to the website:

https://www.orcas.pt

It is giving useful info how to avoid Orca attacks & interactions in the western approaches of the Mediterranean sea and the Straits of Gibraltar.

There are also Scientists actively involved.
One of their vessels, called Nashira is almost every day with the Orca, stay well clear of them.
Currently the hot-spot is near the fixed tuna net in Barbate.
Yachts are advised to pass inside between shore and net and generally hug the coast until Gibraltar within the 20m depth line (this is a recommandation but the skipper decides the course of the vessel by themselves).

Please share this info to any yachts heading towards the Mediterranean.

On the website you will find info how to join a number of Whatsapp groups with, by now over 1000 members.

Essentially there are three groups:

1)Orca Location
Here one reports ONLY the boatname and the two ports/anchorages one sails in between with time and date and info if one saw Orcas or not or if one had an interaction with them.
Careful, large bottlenose dolphin are easily mistaken for Orca.
The idea is that everyone can roughly know their location and try to stay clear.
Scientists of the research group CIRCE publish daily hot-spot maps and advice.

2)Orca Discussion
Lively discussion about possible remedies and ways to avoid the Orca.
Anything which is not a location report belongs here.

3) Sail Portugal & Spain
A helpful Whatsapp group for anyone sailing along Portuguese or Spanish coasts.

All groups are in English.

Please share this with anyone heading to the Med.
Several yachts have sunk as a result of interactions with the Orca.

Moderators, maybe you can pin this to the top of the Europe and Mediterranean threads?

[Franziska]

This also applies to yachts leaving the Mediterranean sea of course.

[Sindbadly]

Thanks very much! This is good to know. I'm hoping my large outboard rudder is not as exciting as a spade rudder...... Guess we will find out.

Have there been instances of the orcas biting wind vane servo rudders? I haven't seen any mentioned. Stainless steel is not as interesting I expect.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by Sindbadly

Thanks very much! This is good to know. I'm hoping my large outboard rudder is not as exciting as a spade rudder...... Guess we will find out.



Have there been instances of the orcas biting wind vane servo rudders? I haven't seen any mentioned. Stainless steel is not as interesting I expect.

We did personally meet a guy from Sweden who is sailing a steel boat and left his servo rudder in. He got attacked. The servo rudder did not make it, but his main rudder did.

Have a safe trip.

[Sindbadly]

Thanks, Franziska. I guess we will see how it goes.......

[Franziska]

There was a Swan 47 (draft 2.35m) who passed all three nets within 20 meters shoreside.
Wind was 5-7 Bft (sometimes 35 knts true and easterly=wind coming from shore) so in the region of Barbate and the nets not much waves. Only on the first part from Gibralter to the bay of Barbate.

Important, when going eastwards into the Mediterranean, west winds are preferable, so waves will be higher where the nets are.
A calm day is therefore preferable to pass on the inside.

Staying within the 20m depth line is preferable in the area where the Orca are active.

Currently they are the areas around Gibraltar. Last year (2022) they migrated north in summer.
Then happened a lot of incidents in the bay of Setubal close to cape Espichel and a few further north along the coast and up into the bay of Biskay.

[Sindbadly]

Thanks, good to know. I used to live inside from Gibraltar at Estepona many years ago before the marina was developed. Left in 1981 as it was finished. When the Levante was blowing it was to be respected! No experience on the Atlantic side - yet.......

[Franziska]

There the links to the 3 groups:

Please go to www.orca.pt to get access to the channels

Safe sailing to everyone. Enjoy!

[Franziska]

Additionally very helpful is the Orcinus app.
See here:

https://www.noonsite.com/news/spain-...-tracking-app/

[jsal]

Originally Posted by Franziska

There the links to the 3 groups:

Please go to www.orca.pt to get access to the channels

Safe sailing to everyone. Enjoy!

Just wondering; is www.orcas.pt the same website? The website you’ve linked doesn’t work.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by jsal

Just wondering; is www.orcas.pt the same website? The website you’ve linked doesn’t work.

Yes. Sorry for that.
Thanks for your comment & correction.

It is:

www.orcas.pt

As you correctly said.

[plang732]

[QUOTE=Franziska;3775143]Hi,

I like to draw the attention of yachts heading towards the Mediterranean to the website:

...]

Hi,

I put 3 PDF studies I wrote which are free to download from the page Pierre LANG et Thoè Publications (www.thoe.be) about the Analysis and Possible solutions in case of orcas attack.

The unencoded URL is www(dot)thoe(dot)be(slash)orcas

Pierre