Orca Attack: Sailboat Sinks off Costa da Caparica – Species Threat

A group of orcas caused this Saturday the wreck of a sailboat off the Costa da Caparica, in the municipality of Almada. All crew were rescued. Also a maritime-tourist vessel off the Cascais Bay needed help after an “interaction with orcas,” according to the National Maritime Authority.

The incident with Almada happened around 12 noon, told the public Bernardo Queiroz, director of Mercedes-Benz Oceanic Lounge, who recorded the moment when the orcas interacted with the Nautic Squad candle club boat.

The Mercedes-Benz Oceanic Lounge boat was on a dolphin observation trip when “noticed movements” noted in the sailboat in the immediate vicinity. As they approached, they realized that it was a group of four orcas.

During the interaction, the orcas will have damaged the rudder of the sailboat, which began to get water. The vessels that hosted the scene tried to tow the sailboat, but the boat eventually sink, with all the crew rescued.

Following the interaction, a second boat also suffered damage, but did not wreck. According to Bernardo Queiroz, the Portuguese Navy moved to the scene.

The National Maritime Authority reported, in a statement, that it was necessary to assist “five people, who went aboard a sailboat about five nautical miles (approximately nine kilometers) from Praia da Fonte da Telha” and four “others”They were following aboard a maritime-tourist vessel off the Cascais Bay. “All people were well, without the need for medical care.

In the images captured by the Mercedes-Benz Oceanic Lounge, it is possible to see the contacts of the orcas with a sailboat, in which they seem to be push with their heads and body. The behavior observed is in line with what has been observed over the last few years, in the growing number of interactions between these mammals and vessels.

This is the latest episode involving interactions of orcas with vessels off the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula and in the Gibraltar Strait. According to the Orcas.pt portal, this year were 73 interactions between orcas and sailboats-four in September, already accounting for the wreck this Saturday. In these meetings, orcas do not show an aggressive stance, although the situation can be tense and frightening to people, resulting in significant material damage in this case.

The orcas that are on the Portuguese coast are part of a subpopulation called Iberian Orca. This population, which will not reach half a hundred individuals, is classified as critically in danger on the International Union’s Red List for Nature Conservation (IUCN).