<br />Sailing boats over 50 feet long have been banned from a stretch of Spain's northern coastline where several vessels have been attacked by killer whales.<br /><br />Government officials have admitted the measure could be applied to other areas where the animals live and hunt and have been involved in recent incidents, including the Straits of Gibraltar.<br /><br />The Directorate General of the Merchant Marine (DGMM), part of Spain's Ministry of Transport, has also announced a plane normally used in firefighting will be deployed to identify the killer whales thought to be responsible and alert seafarers in the area.<br /><br />The sailing ban applies to the coastline off the north-west region of Galicia, between Cape Priorino Grande near the city of Ferrol and Spain's northernmost point Punta de Estaca de Bares. It is due to last a week.<br /><br />The plane is expected to focus on the off-limits area.<br />A spokesman for the DGMM described the move as 'proportionate and objective'.<br /><br />He added: 'The measure is designed to prevent new episodes involving killer whales which have caused several incidents in Galicia's coastal area in the past few weeks involving mainly sailing boats.<br /><br />'The sailing boats affected by this decision can navigate perpendicular to the off-limits area to reach the coast or head out to sea.'<br /><br />The recent spate of attacks on boats in Spanish and Portuguese waters by killer whales, which have left at least one crewman injured, have baffled scientists.<br /><br />Marine life experts have described them as 'unheard of.' Biologists have reportedly compiled a list of around 40 'interactions', 29 of them in Galicia, since one on July 20 between Gibraltar and Cape Trafalgar.<br />In a recent incident Halcyon Yachts were taking a 36ft vessel to the UK from the Galician city of La Coruna when a killer whale rammed it at least 15 times.<br /><br />The vessel lost steering and had to be towed back to port because of the attack.<br /><br />A yacht named as Gautier was attacked on Tuesday and had to be towed back to the town of Muros south of La Coruna - outside of the off-limits area - after its rudder was damaged.<br />Marine lift experts say they believe two young killer whales in one of three groups of 13 animals located in Galician waters could be behind the attacks.<br /><br />The theory they are reacting to a previous attack by a seafarer has not been ruled out and scientists have speculated they could be linked to a decrease in the number of boats at sea during the coronavirus lockdown which has increased curiosity among the young killer whales.<br />But most experts have concluded the animals see their attacks on the rudders they have targeted as a game and could be using them to hone their hunting instincts.<br /><br />Around seven boats have had to be towed back to port since the incidents began because of damage caused to their rudders.<br /><br />Bruno Diaz, a marine biologist based in Pontevedra in Galicia, told a local Spanish paper earlier this month: 'It's possible the incidents have taken place because young animals in a group are practici
