New details emerge in attack on Toñi, the Strait of Gibraltar’s oldest orca

Toñi, the oldest known orca in the Strait of Gibraltar and Gulf of Cádiz, has been seen with pellet-gun wounds to her dorsal fin. Spain’s Environment Ministry says a Spanish-flagged vessel may be responsible and has asked prosecutors to investigate a possible crime against protected wildlife.

The investigation began in mid-August after conservation groups We Whale and Iberian Orca Guardian reported the incident. The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, known as MITECO, said it forwarded information from its inquiry to the environmental prosecutor’s office after carrying out several investigative actions in recent weeks.

Although the inquiry points toward a Spanish-flagged vessel, officials said the shots may have been fired in Portuguese waters. MITECO therefore asked the Guardia Civil’s Central Environmental Operations Unit, or UCOMA, to help identify and interview the suspected perpetrators. The unit will also examine the administrative and documentary status of any weapons, prepare a ballistic report and conduct other investigative steps considered necessary.

“From the ministry we will continue investigating, working with the prosecutor’s office, the Guardia Civil and the Portuguese authorities to clarify what happened and prevent this environmental harm from going unpunished,” said Sara Aagesen, Spain’s deputy prime minister and environment minister.

Authorities are closely monitoring Toñi’s recovery, which they said is progressing favorably. MITECO said the 60-year-old orca was recently seen with a group of orcas in Galician waters. The Strait of Gibraltar and Gulf of Cádiz orca population is listed as vulnerable under Spain’s Catalogue of Threatened Species, meaning actions against the animals could result in serious or very serious sanctions.

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From the ministry we will continue investigating, working with the prosecutor’s office, the Guardia Civil and the Portuguese authorities to clarify what happened and prevent this environmental harm from going unpunished.