Incidents in the Atlantic / Strait of Gibraltar.
Documented sailing emergencies in the Atlantic / Strait of Gibraltar — 2 records, each with sources, lessons, and links to the SeaWise procedures involved. Search by the water you're about to sail.
← Search & filter the full LogbookAround dawn on 16 June 2026, a catamaran about five nautical miles southwest of Barbate, in the Gulf of Cádiz near the Strait of Gibraltar, reported an interaction with Iberian orcas. Spain's Salvamento Marítimo advised the crew to make for shallower water and stay safe aboard, asked a nearby fishing boat to stand by, and the rescue craft Salvamar Enif towed the catamaran into Barbate. The crew were unharmed.
In late May 2026 off northwest Morocco, two French sailors believed their catamaran was sinking from water ingress and abandoned it for their dinghy. The catamaran never sank — it was found still afloat off Tangier and towed empty into Asilah, raising fears the pair were lost. In fact they spent four days and nights adrift in the dinghy before a merchant ship found and rescued them alive on 28 May. Both survived.