Orcas attacked a yacht with a family in Portugal: how people were saved.

Orca attack on a yacht near Nazaré

According to ТСН: Near the Portuguese city of Nazaré during a night sailing from Lisbon to Porto, a yacht with a family from the Netherlands faced an unexpected attack by orcas. As one family member described, around 5 AM, they felt sharp movements of the vessel, which began to rock, and later realized that predators were attacking them.

The yacht sustained serious damage and started taking on water, so the family urgently tried to reach the shore. Despite being surrounded by orcas, they managed to reach the shore, where the yacht capsized. Fortunately, nobody was harmed, and the vessel was recovered for inspection by the competent authorities.

Repeated orca attacks

This incident was another case of orca aggression in this area of Portugal. Just a few weeks ago, a group of five people, including three children, required a rescue operation when their yacht sank due to an attack 55 miles southeast of Peniche. In September, three Norwegian sailors survived a similar attack on a tourist boat when orcas damaged the rudder and hull, creating serious danger.

Experts are drawing attention to the nature of these attacks: orcas attack from the stern, striking the rudder, making the boat uncontrollable, and then disappear. Researchers suggest that some of these predators may have taught others how to attack vessels, passing their skills from one individual to another. One researcher even speculated that the entire series of attacks could have started with an injured or frightened orca that became aggressive towards boats, and its behavior was observed by other orcas.

At the same time, experts note that such actions do not promote the survival of the animals and even increase the risk for the orcas themselves. It also demonstrates their social and learning behavior — the ability to observe and replicate the actions of others.

Recall that earlier there was a report of an incident when a pod of orcas attacked a yacht off the coast of the popular resort town of Cascais, where there were four people on board.

The increasing number of orca attacks on yachts off the coast of Portugal is raising concerns among sailors and tourists. The situation requires the attention of specialists, as safety at sea depends not only on human actions but also on the behavior of wild animals that can become dangerous. The interaction between humans and nature requires caution and an understanding of the behavior traits of marine mammals.