Spain's Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge has opened an investigation after an Iberian orca was found with wounds consistent with shotgun pellet injuries to its dorsal fin and back in the Strait of Gibraltar.
The ministry learned of the incident on August 11 from the conservation group WeWhale, which along with Iberian Orca Guardians identified the animal as Toñi, believed to be around 60 years old and the longest-living member of the population. The organisations, whose founder Janek Andre said they have monitored Toñi for years, stated the injuries were not present weeks earlier. The ministry's biodiversity directorate opened preliminary proceedings on August 12 that could lead to a sanction of up to 2 million euros and criminal liability under Spain's natural heritage law.
The Iberian orca population in the Strait of Gibraltar and Gulf of Cádiz is classified as vulnerable under Spain's catalogue of threatened species. The region has seen more than 700 recorded orca interactions with boats, including eight sinkings, though no human injuries have been reported.