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A British sailor’s boat was the latest victim in a spate of orca attacks on vessels near Gibraltar, as an expert suggested a “traumatised” killer whale may be inadvertently teaching others to target them. There have been 20 incidents this month alone between the highly social apex predators and small vessels sailing in the Strait of Gibraltar, according to the Atlantic Orca Working Group (GTOA), with dozens of orca attacks on ships recorded on Spanish and Portuguese coasts this year. In the early hours of Thursday, a group of orcas broke the rudder and pierced the hull of a boat after ramming into the Mustique on its way to Gibraltar, prompting its crew of four to contact Spanish authorities for help, a spokesperson for the maritime rescue service said. The service deployed a rapid-response vessel and a helicopter carrying a bilge pump to assist the 20-metre (66ft) vessel, which was sailing under a British flag, a spokesperson for the maritime rescue service said. The Mustique was towed to the port of Barbate, in the province of Cadiz, for repairs. Posting footage of the ordeal on Instagram, British sailor April Boyes, aged 31, said: “What started off as a seemingly unique encounter ended with orcas breaking off our rudder from the boat, then proceeding to tear bits off the boat for an hour. “A huge hole in the hull meant we had water ingress to other parts of the boat and the engine room, and I can honestly say it was a scary experience. We are all safe. I’m feeling grateful for the coastguard.” Earlier in May, the sailing yacht Alboran Champagne suffered a similar impact from three orcas half a nautical mile off Barbate. The boat could not be towed as it was completely flooded and was left adrift to sink. The boat’s captain, Werner Schaufelberger, told the German magazine Yacht that he saw the two smaller whales imitating the ramming tactic of the larger orca, believed to be a matriarch named “White Gladis”. “The little ones shook the rudder at the back while the big one repeatedly backed up and rammed the ship with full force from the side,” he said. “The two little orcas copied the bigger one’s technique and, with a slight run-up, came darting towards the boat. Mainly on the rudder, but also the keel.” Just two days previously, on 2 May, six orcas rammed the hull of a Bavaria 46 cruiser yacht in an encounter lasting an hour near Tangier, reportedly causing thousands of pounds of damage. Business consultant Janet Morris and photographer Stephen Bidwell, a couple from Cambridgeshire, both aged 58, were on board for a sailing course when they heard a shout of “orcas”. “We were sitting ducks,” Ms Morris told TheDaily Telegraph, while Mr Bidwell said: “I kept reminding myself we had a 22-tonne boat made of steel, but seeing three of them coming at once, quickly and at pace with their fins out of the water, was daunting.” “A clearly larger matriarch was definitely around and was almost supervising,” he added, speculating that it was White Gladis. The first orca encounter in the area occurred in May 2020, since when more than 500 have been recorded, according to the GTOA research group. Most interactions have been harmless, with orcas only touching an estimated one in every 100 boats passing through the area, according to biologist Alfredo Lopez Fernandez, of the GTOA and University of Aveiro, who said that three vessels have sunk so far. Experts believe White Gladis may have suffered a “critical moment of agony”, such as colliding with a boat or becoming entrapped during illegal fishing, which altered her behaviour in a “defensive” fashion. “That traumatised orca is the one that started this behaviour of physical contact with boats,” Dr Lopez Fernandez told Live Science. “We do not interpret that the orcas are teaching the young, although the behaviour has spread to the young vertically, simply by imitation, and later horizontally among them, because they consider it something important in their lives,” he said. The behaviour has baffled scientists, with some initially suggesting it could be related to the harmful scarcity of food facing the mammals, or the disruptive resumption of business-as-usual nautical activities in the wake of the pandemic, while others have suggested it could be playful behaviour. Although known as killer whales, endangered orcas are part of the dolphin family. They can measure up to eight metres and weigh up to six tonnes as adults. Additional reporting by Reuters Read More Watch killer whales wreck boat in latest violent attack off Spain Rare white orca spotted off Japanese coast for first time in two years Dolphins and orcas found to use ‘Kim Kardashian-like voice register’ to catch prey ‘Like a sledgehammer’: Killer whales perplex scientists by ramming sailing boats on Spanish coast

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BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 30, 2023--

Barcelona host Real Madrid in the first Clasico of the season as Jude Bellingham gets his first taste of one of the biggest games in world football. Barcelona won last season’s La Liga crown as they surged to their first league title since 2019 under Xavi. The champions are undefeated this season with seven wins and three draws but trail leaders Real Madrid by one point. Bellingham has made an astonishing start to life in the Spanish capital with 11 goals in his first 12 games for the club since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. The 20-year-old England star will now take centre stage in El Clasico as Real Madrid look to get revenge on Barcelona for last year’s title win. Here’s everything you need to know; get the latest Clasico odds and tips here. When is Barcelona vs Real Madrid? El Clasico will kick off at 3:15pm BST (UK time) on Saturday 29 October. It will be played at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, which is where Barcelona are playing all their home games this season due to renovations at the Camp Nou. Why isn’t Barcelona vs Real Madrid on TV in the UK? El Clasico is not available to watch live in the UK due to the 3pm blackout rule - a law which dates back to the 1960s preventing football from being shown on UK TV between 2:45pm and 5:15pm, in an effort to protect the attendances of lower league clubs. This includes international football, which is why ViaPlay - who hold the rights for LaLiga in the UK - cannot broadcast the match on TV or online until they show a re-run at 5:15pm. The re-run will be shown on ViaPlay Sports 2 and will also be available to watch on the ViaPlay website for ViaPlay subscribers. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. How can I follow the match? The Independent will be running a live blog of El Classico with the latest score and goal updates. What is the team news? Robert Lewandowski is a major doubt for Barcelona but Xavi is hopeful the striker will be able to face Real Madrid. Barcelona have been hit by several injuries to key players in recent weeks and although Jules Kounde, Pedri and Sergi Roberto have been ruled out, Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, and Raphinha could return in time. Real Madrid have been without Thibaut Courtois all season and the goalkeeper remains a long-term absentee due to an ACL injury. Eder Militao also remains out but Real Madrid have fewer injury issues than their rivals. Predicted line-ups Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Cancelo, Araujo, Martinez, Balde; Gavi, Romeu, Gundogan; Yamal, Lewandowski, Felix Real Madrid: Kepa; Carvajal, Rudiger, Alaba, Camavinga; Valverde, Tchouameni, Kroos; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius Read More Fran Kirby felt like she’d never been away on return to England side Son Heung-min hails Guglielmo Vicario for ‘unbelievable saves’ in win at Palace Erik ten Hag admits Man Utd ‘have a way to go’ as they prepare for derby day Fran Kirby felt like she’d never been away on return to England side Son Heung-min hails Guglielmo Vicario for ‘unbelievable saves’ in win at Palace Erik ten Hag admits Man Utd ‘have a way to go’ as they prepare for derby day