Spain's environment ministry has opened a formal investigation after Toñi, the elderly matriarch of an Iberian orca pod known for jostling and ramming boats, was observed with wounds consistent with a pellet gun attack. The injuries were spotted in the Strait of Gibraltar, and officials say some projectiles may still be lodged in her dorsal fin, raising the risk of infection.
According to a Spanish news agency, the ministry's biodiversity directorate was first alerted on 11 August 2026 and opened preliminary proceedings the following day. The same report notes that Toñi is believed to be around 60 years old, making her the oldest living member of the critically endangered Iberian orca population.
What happened to Toñi?
The oldest living member of her pod was seen with markings on her dorsal fin that Spain's environment ministry described as consistent with shots from a pellet gun. A ministry source said that some pellets remained lodged in the fin, creating a risk of infection, and confirmed the ministry has been coordinating with Portuguese authorities, since the markings were noticed after the orcas had travelled from waters off Faro, Portugal.
Conservation groups WeWhale and the Iberian Orca s (IOG) say the injuries were first documented on 10 August 2026 in the Strait of Gibraltar, according to a German boating publication, which reported that the animal shows at least ten suspected pellet-entry wounds. A separate Spanish outlet, La Voz de Galicia, cited the two conservation groups as saying the wound pattern is consistent with a 12-gauge shotgun load fired from very close range, potentially under 15 metres. No public evidence has yet identified a suspect, and it remains unproven exactly who fired the shots, the boating publication noted.
Since Toñi's injuries came to light, WeWhale and IOG have been closely monitoring her for any signs of weakening health. IOG co-founder Janek Andre said the group has direct, recent knowledge of her condition:
We know Toñi. We were with her a few weeks ago and these wounds were not there.
Seeing Toñi, la abuela [the grandmother], 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.
Why has this orca pod drawn so much attention?
The Iberian Peninsula's orcas first became a subject of widespread public fascination in 2020, when sailors began circulating accounts of rudders being rammed and boats being spun around or tipped sideways. Since then, a small number of orcas from the pod have been linked to damage on dozens of vessels and the sinking of at least four boats, a pattern that scientists have struggled to explain fully.
Researchers have generally resisted the idea that the animals are deliberately attacking vessels. Instead, many suggest the behaviour may be a form of play, or a way for younger orcas to practise hunting techniques on an unusual, novel target. Regardless of the explanation, the population's presence in one of the world's busiest shipping corridors has exposed it to significant additional risks.
What pressures does the population already face?
Scientists tracking this group of orcas have repeatedly warned that they face a combination of serious stressors as they live alongside heavy maritime traffic. Food scarcity, physical injuries and pollution have all been cited as factors pushing the population toward the edge, with numbers now estimated at only 30 to 40 individuals in total.
The tension between sailors and orcas has already produced troubling incidents before this one. In 2023, footage emerged showing people throwing firecrackers into the water as orcas rammed a vessel's rudder, an episode that signalled sailors were beginning to retaliate against the animals rather than simply trying to avoid them.
What happens next?
Spain's environment ministry has confirmed that its biodiversity directorate, which holds authority over protected marine species, is leading the case following the preliminary proceedings opened in mid-August 2026, according to the Spanish news agency's report. Should investigators establish the full facts and identify those potentially responsible, Spain could move from the current preliminary inquiry into a formal sanctions process, the same report indicated.
For now, conservationists are urging restraint regardless of how people feel about the pod's interactions with boats. Andre argued that no amount of frustration with the orcas' behaviour justifies violence against them:
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.
Key Facts
- Toñi, roughly 60 years old, is the oldest living member of the Iberian orca population, according to a Spanish news agency.
- Spain's environment ministry opened preliminary proceedings on 12 August 2026 after being alerted the previous day.
- Conservation groups documented the wounds on 10 August 2026 and counted at least ten suspected pellet-entry marks.
- WeWhale and the Iberian Orca s say the wound pattern may match a close-range 12-gauge shotgun blast, possibly fired from under 15 metres.
- The wider Iberian orca population is estimated at just 30 to 40 individuals, already strained by food scarcity, injuries and pollution.
