A group of orcas struck and sank a sailboat off Costa da Caparica, near Fonte da Telha beach, on Saturday afternoon. The five crew members were assisted by authorities but are unharmed.
Photos of the incident were shared on the Instagram page of Mercedes Benz Oceanic Lounge. One post warns of the danger of orcas in the area, while another shows the damaged sailboat, with most of the vessel submerged and only the back end remaining afloat, before eventually sinking.
Images of the attack and the sinking sailboat can be viewed in our gallery.
A representative from Mercedes Benz Oceanic Lounge reported to Notícias ao Minuto that during a Dolphinwatch tour, passengers noticed erratic movements on the sailboat and approached it. At that time, the attack was already occurring.
The tourist boat managed to rescue those aboard the sailboat, which despite attempts to tow it, eventually sank.
Meanwhile, the navy arrived, and the rescued crew was brought ashore with the help of the tourist boat.
The National Maritime Authority issued a statement saying that all five sailboat occupants were in good physical condition and did not require medical assistance. They added that the sailboat was transported to the Oeiras harbor.
This was not the only vessel affected by the orca group in Portuguese waters on the same day.
In total, nine people were assisted on Saturday afternoon. There was the aforementioned sailboat with five people and a tourist boat off the coast of Cascais with four people on board.
The National Maritime Authority stated that they received an alert at 12:30 p.m. due to an interaction with orcas, leading to the immediate deployment of crew members from the Cascais Lifeboat Station and the Port of Lisbon’s Captaincy.
Upon reaching Cascais, officials confirmed that the crew members were physically well and did not require medical aid. They were rescued with the assistance of a nearby maritime tourist vessel.
