Four people were rescued from a boat off the coast of Portugal after the vessel was rammed by orcas, in the third incident involving killer whales in a week.
Portugal’s Coastal and Border Control Unit (UCCF) rescued four people from the boat on Monday after they were alerted to “repeated strikes on its bow caused by killer whales”, the National Guard (GNR) said.
The incident took place near Costa da Caparica, which lies around 10 nautical miles from Lisbon. After calling for help, the crew were taken safely to the port of Cascais by a UCCF patrol boat.
It follows two previous collisions between orcas and boats off the coast of Portugal in the past week.
On Saturday, a tourist yacht carrying five people sank near Fonte da Telha beach after being rammed by a pod of orcas.
Footage shared by sailing company Mercedes-Benz Oceanic Lounge shows an orca repeatedly pushing into the side of the yacht before it sways and starts to sink, with a witness heard saying: “Oh my God.”
All five crew members were rescued from the Nautic Squad club vessel by boats shortly before it sank.
A second encounter with the pod was recorded later the same day off the Bay of Cascais, with four people removed from their boat without injuries.
Portugal’s National Maritime Authority said that it received an alert at 12.30pm “due to an interaction with orcas”.
It added: “Crews from the lifeguard station of Cascais and the Captaincy of the Port of Lisbon were immediately activated.
“Upon arrival at the site, it was found that the crew were physically well, without the need of medical assistance, having been removed with the help of a sea-tourist boat nearby.”
Since May 2020, researchers have documented hundreds of incidents of orcas ramming into boats near the Iberian peninsula, sparking several theories and research into the rise in the behavioural trend.
The incident follows a new warning after two boats were attacked by a pair of killer whales off the coast of Spain earlier this month.
A Spanish maritime rescue ship was called after the boats were rammed by orcas just minutes apart in the waters of Galicia.
Rescuers towed an orca-damaged ship back into the harbour before they were alerted to another attack.
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