A few month in the past, sailors off the Portuguese coast had a shocking encounter — a pod of Iberian orcas surrounded and repeatedly ran into two sailboats close to Lisbon. One vessel misplaced its rudder and needed to be towed to shore, whereas the opposite sustained severe harm earlier than finally sinking. Fortunately, all crew members had been rescued safely.
These incidents are a part of an ongoing sample. Since 2020, scientists have recorded a whole lot of interactions between orcas and boats within the waters between Portugal and Spain. Many of the encounters contain orcas approaching and nudging sailboats, typically specializing in the rudder.
Specialists nonetheless aren’t positive why that is occurring. Some consider the whales are merely curious or taking part in, whereas others suppose a couple of younger orcas could have realized this conduct and handed it alongside to others of their pod.
Whereas orca assaults sound alarming, researchers emphasize that these animals aren’t aggressive towards people — they’re clever and social creatures, probably experimenting or expressing curiosity.
Sailors within the area are being suggested to remain alert, decelerate if orcas seem, and keep away from sudden maneuvers. The Portuguese maritime authorities proceed to watch the state of affairs intently as they work with marine biologists to know the phenomenon higher.
