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A Belgian couple experienced a terrifying encounter with a pod of 11 orcas while sailing near Spain, marking the latest in a series of alarming killer whale interactions along the Iberian Peninsula.
Wim Vandenhende, aged 43, and Dana Huens, aged 36, were sailing from Greece to Belgium when their yacht, Amidala, was suddenly targeted by the powerful orcas near the Galician coast, close to A Coruña.
Killer whale attacks on the increase
The incident is part of a growing trend of orca encounters in the waters off Spain and Portugal, where these marine mammals have become notorious for ramming into boats. The orcas, believed to be following shoals of bluefin tuna migrating through the Strait of Gibraltar, have been involved in nearly 700 documented incidents of boat attacks in the region, according to researchers.
The incident is part of a growing trend of orca encounters in the waters off Spain and Portugal, where these marine mammals have become notorious for ramming into boats. The orcas, believed to be following shoals of bluefin tuna migrating through the Strait of Gibraltar, have been involved in nearly 700 documented incidents of boat attacks in the region, according to researchers.