A couple of month in the past, sailors off the Portuguese coast had a shocking encounter: a bunch of Iberian killer whales surrounded and repeatedly collided with two sailboats close to Lisbon. One ship misplaced its rudder and needed to be towed to shore, whereas the opposite suffered severe injury earlier than ultimately sinking. Thankfully, all crew members had been rescued safely.
These incidents are a part of an ongoing sample. Since 2020, scientists have recorded this tons of of interactions between orcas and boats within the waters between Portugal and Spain. Most encounters contain orcas approaching and nudging sailboats, typically specializing in the rudder.
Specialists nonetheless do not know why this occurs. Some consider the whales are simply curious or enjoying, whereas others suppose a couple of younger orcas have realized this habits and handed it on to others of their pod.
Though killer whale assaults sound alarming, researchers emphasize that these animals aren’t aggressive in direction of people: they’re clever and social creatures, who could experiment or specific curiosity.
Sailors within the area are suggested to stay alert, decelerate if killer whales seem and keep away from sudden maneuvers. Portuguese maritime authorities proceed to watch the scenario intently whereas working with marine biologists to raised perceive the phenomenon.