The sunken Tafra 3 in its final moments

Captain and First Officer of Vessel That Sank Fishing Boat with Spanish Crew Detained in Mauritania

SPAIN
Tuesday, September 16, 2025, 06:10 (GMT + 9)

An inexplicable collision in Nuadibú leaves five Mauritanian crew members missing and causes great concern in Galicia. Local authorities have suspended the search.

MADRID — The captain and first officer of the Right Whale, a 105-meter trawler with a Gambian flag and Lithuanian capital, have been detained by authorities in Nuadibú, Mauritania. Both are under investigation for the sinking of the fishing vessel Tafra 3, a 35-meter boat, in an incident that left 21 survivors and five missing crew members, all of whom are of Mauritanian nationality.

The shipwreck occurred on Friday afternoon a few miles off the coast in perfect sea conditions and broad daylight. According to sources close to the company, the Tafra 3—a freezer vessel with Galician capital—was maneuvering its net at a speed of between 2 and 5 knots when it was brutally rammed by the Right Whale, which was sailing at a speed of 10 to 14 knots. The impact tore a huge hole in the fishing boat's starboard side, causing it to sink instantly.

The Tafra 3 with a huge hole in the hull caused by the Right Whale's ramming

Spanish Crew Members On Board

On board the Tafra 3 were 26 crew members, including three of Spanish nationality: the captain Javier Gestido Piñeiro, from Marín; José Manuel Diz García, from Bueu; and a chief engineer from Huelva. All crew members managed to put on their life jackets, but Captain Diz García suffered a head cut that required stitches.

The Mayday call was issued at 18:40 Mauritanian time (20:40 in Spain). Although the Right Whale left the scene after the collision, 21 people were rescued by other vessels in the area, including the Rimbal 5, the Tafra 2 (from the same company), and the Right Whale itself, which picked up four survivors. Unfortunately, the search for the five missing crew members has been suspended by local authorities.

Sinking of the Tafra 3 and the crew's life rafts

The incident has generated great turmoil in the fishing industry of Galicia, especially in the towns of Marín and Vigo, where the boat was based before being exported in 2021.

Investigation and Company Background

Despite the arrests of the captain and the first officer, the Right Whale has since set sail for the fishing grounds with a new crew at the helm while the investigation continues. The vessel, operated by the firm Ocean Whale Company (based in Malta and mentioned in the Paradise Papers), was built in 1984 in Ukraine.

While the vessel's owners work on repatriation efforts, the great unknown remains as to how the collision could have occurred in broad daylight, under perfect sea conditions and without swell. Official information from the Mauritanian coast guard has been very limited, and sources close to the shipowner suggest that the missing crew members may be inside the vessel

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