Three African migrants who were balancing on the rudder of a boat were rescued by the Spanish coast guard on Monday after an 11-day journey, authorities said.

the coast guard he tweeted on monday who rescued migrants from the helm of the Alithini II, a ship that traveled from Nigeria to the Canary Islands.

They can be seen sitting at the ship’s helm with their backs bent, apparently due to lack of space, in an image shared by the agency.

According to the Spanish news agency EFEthe migrants are three men of sub-Saharan descent.

The migrants were taken to the port and attended by the health services.

The oil and chemical tanker Alithini II arrived in the Canary Islands on Monday after an 11-day voyage from Lagos, Nigeria, according to marinetraffic.com.

The Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off northwest Africa, «are a popular gateway for African immigrants trying to reach Europe.» Spanish data showed that migration to the archipelago increased by 51% in the first five months of 2022 compared to last year, Reuters informed.