Walter Finch
THREE friends who thought they were having the experience of a lifetime may find themselves staring at the wrong end of a five-figure fine after they filmed themselves swimming with whales.
The clip shows three men leaping from a small leisure boat into the open seas of the Strait of Gibraltar as a pod of pilot whales surfaces nearby.
The mountains of Morocco loom in the background as the swimmers paddle just metres from the animals – in clear violation of Spanish wildlife protection laws.
The TikTok account uploaded the video over the weekend, accompanied by the caption: “Swimming with whales in the Strait of Gibraltar.”
The clip sparked swift outrage online, with hundreds of comments slamming the behaviour as reckless, illegal and dangerous.
Others pointed to the powerful currents in the Strait and the presence of orcas and sharks as reasons why the stunt could have ended in tragedy.
The three individuals – who appear to be late-middle aged men – might be feeling nervous after it was revealed that the Guardia Civil hunted down and arrested a group of tourists who tried a similar stunt in Tenerife last month.
The group of seven were formally charged after being caught on camera swimming with pilot whales in the protected Teno-Rasca marine reserve.
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Despite trying to claim that they were unaware of the law, they now face fines up to potentially €60,000.
Under Spanish law, it is strictly forbidden to swim or dive with cetaceans.
Boats must remain at least 60 metres away from whales and dolphins, or 300 metres if calves are present. Breaking the rules can lead to fines ranging from €6,000 to €300,000.
Pilot whales are resident year-round in the Strait of Gibraltar, which was declared a protected marine corridor in 2018.
The narrow waters also serve as a migratory route for sperm whales, fin whales and orcas.
The Guardia Civil’s environmental unit SEPRONA can open investigations based on video evidence, though no action has yet been confirmed in this case.
Environmental groups warn that close encounters cause stress to the animals and can also put swimmers at risk, with one flick of a whale’s tail enough to cause serious injury.
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