Toñi, Oldest Known Iberian Orca, Found With Shotgun Wounds In Strait Of Gibraltar
Photo Credit: WeWhale.org / Iberian Orca Guardians
Spanish authorities have opened a preliminary investigation after Toñi, the oldest known Iberian orca, was recently seen in the Strait of Gibraltar with serious wounds on her dorsal fin that conservation groups believe may have been caused by a shotgun.
Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) said it was alerted to Toñi’s condition on the afternoon of August 11 by conservation organization WeWhale, which operates in the area with authorization from the ministry.
The following day, officials began preliminary proceedings to determine what happened and identify any possible suspects. Depending on the findings, authorities could open formal sanctioning proceedings.
WeWhale and Iberian Orca Guardians have been documenting Toñi through their Save The Iberian Orca campaign. The organizations said they photographed her only a few weeks before the latest sighting, when the injuries were not present.
During their recent observations, the groups documented multiple new wounds across Toñi’s dorsal fin and back. Based on the appearance, number, size and distribution of the wounds, they believe the injuries resulted from a shotgun discharge.
Janek Andre, Founder & President of WeWhale and the Iberian Orca Guardians Foundation, stated:
“We know Toñi. We were with her a few weeks ago and these wounds were not there. Now we are seeing multiple impact wounds across her dorsal fin and back which, in our assessment, are consistent with her having been shot with a shotgun. For us, these aren’t anonymous animals. We know them individually, we know their families. Seeing Toñi, “La Abuela” like this is devastating. If someone has deliberately fired a shotgun at her, this is not only an act of extreme cruelty against an individual animal. It is an attack on one of the last remaining members of a critically endangered population.”
Photographs taken by the organizations only weeks apart show that the injuries appeared during the intervening period. WeWhale and Iberian Orca Guardians are preserving the original photographs and observational records while continuing to monitor Toñi’s physical condition and behavior.
Toñi is the oldest known individual within this population and has been identified and followed for many years. The Strait of Gibraltar orca subpopulation is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, while Spain officially lists the orca population of the Strait of Gibraltar and Gulf of Cádiz as Vulnerable under its national Catalogue of Threatened Species.
Spanish law prohibits actions intended to kill, capture, pursue or disturb species protected under the national catalogue. The country also has specific regulations designed to protect cetaceans.
Violations of these protections can result in penalties of up to €2 million, as well as possible criminal liability.
Since the summer of 2020, interactions between Iberian orcas and vessels have been reported in Atlantic waters around the Iberian Peninsula. Spanish authorities have issued recommendations intended to reduce risks to people, vessels and the orcas, including instructions not to use deterrent measures that could kill, injure, disturb or cause distress to the animals.
Janek Andre also addressed the controversy surrounding interactions between Iberian orcas and vessels:
“There has been enormous public discussion about Iberian orcas and their interactions with vessels. Whatever someone’s opinion about those interactions may be, shooting at these animals can never be an acceptable response. These orcas need protection, not retaliation.”
MITECO’s Directorate-General for Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification is investigating what happened to Toñi, while WeWhale and Iberian Orca Guardians said they will continue documenting her and other members of the population.
World Animal News will continue to follow this developing story.
