An Irish-flagged yacht was forced to abandon a passage to Portugal's Algarve after its rudder was damaged during an encounter with orcas off the coast of Galicia in north-west Spain.
The 11-metre yacht Minerva, with four crew aboard, had departed Baiona on Saturday morning (29 August) bound for Lagos when the encounter occurred about 3.35 miles off the coast of Oia.
According to Spanish newspaper La Voz de Galicia, the crew first spotted the fins of several orcas alongside the yacht at around 9.35am before feeling an impact. The encounter left Minerva's rudder partially broken.
None of the four people aboard was injured.
Despite the rudder damage, the crew retained sufficient control of the yacht to turn back towards Baiona, reaching the Monte Real Club de Yates under their own power. Minerva was subsequently berthed there awaiting repairs before continuing south.
Minerva Had Arrived From Ría de Arousa
The Irish yacht, reported to be approximately 11 metres long with a three-metre beam, had arrived in Baiona two days earlier after sailing from the Ría de Arousa area.
After the two-day stopover, Minerva departed for the Algarve on Saturday morning, but the encounter occurred shortly after beginning the next stage of the passage.
Further Irish details about the yacht, including its owner, skipper and home port, have not been reported.
Second Orca Incident Within 24 Hours
The Minerva incident was followed the next day by another encounter involving the yacht Moya in waters near the northern approaches to the Ría de Vigo.
Moya, with two people aboard, reported losing steering after its rudder was damaged. Spanish maritime rescue service Salvamento Marítimo dispatched the rescue vessel Salvamar Mirach, while those aboard Moya checked the bilges and confirmed there was no water ingress.
The yacht was subsequently able to return towards Baiona under its own power at around six knots, accompanied as a precaution by Salvamar Mirach.
The two incidents put renewed attention on orca interactions with sailing yachts along the Galician coast, where rudders have repeatedly been damaged in encounters in recent years.
Earlier in August, two orcas approached a yacht off Cabo Silleiro and made contact with its rudder, although no significant structural damage was reported in that incident.
In October 2023, the 12-metre yacht Carmen suffered much more extensive damage when three orcas destroyed both of its rudders around 14 miles off Oia. Despite severe steering difficulties, its crew also managed to reach Baiona.
Minerva remained in Baiona following Saturday's encounter while repairs were made to its rudder ahead of its planned onward passage to the Algarve.
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