Iberian orca known for boat ramming seen with suspected gunshot wounds

Spanish officials have opened an investigation after the matriarch of an orca pod known for jostling and ramming boats off the Iberian Peninsula was spotted with wounds suggesting she had been shot with a pellet gun, The Guardian daily reported Friday.

The Environment Ministry said Toni, the pod’s oldest living member, had been seen swimming in the Strait of Gibraltar with markings on her dorsal fin that were “consistent with shots from a pellet gun.”

A ministry source told El Pais daily that some projectiles remained lodged in her fin, creating the risk of infection. The ministry was also in contact with Portuguese officials, said the source, after the markings were discovered following the orcas’ journey from waters off the Portuguese city of Faro.

The Iberian Peninsula’s orcas made headlines in 2020 when sailors reported rudders being rammed and boats spun 180 degrees or tipped sideways. A small group from the pod has since been blamed for damaging dozens of vessels and sinking at least four, leaving scientists searching for an explanation for the puzzling behavior.

Scientists have long rejected the idea that the orcas are attacking vessels, suggesting instead that the behavior may be playful or a way of practicing hunting skills.

Since Toni’s injuries emerged, the WeWhale and Iberian Orca Guardians (IOG) groups have closely monitored the whale for signs of weakness. “We know Toni. We were with her a few weeks ago and these wounds were not there,” said IOG co-founder Janek Andre.