Orcas attacked and sank a French yacht off Peniche, Portugal, on Friday, sending a Mayday; rescue forces hauled five survivors, including three children, to hospital.
Orcas Attack Ships and Yachts
A group of orcas attacked a French yacht off the coast of Peniche, Portugal, on Friday. The vessel sent a Mayday message early in the afternoon, which was received by maritime rescue services.
Rescue teams, including an Air Force helicopter, a Navy frigate, and a local rescue boat, were deployed. A nearby fishing vessel also arrived first to assist the crew.
The yacht had five crew members, three of whom were children. All five were transported by helicopter to the Montijo airbase and then taken to a hospital.
Since the beginning of September, there have been roughly a dozen or so orca attacks on floating vessels along the Portuguese coast. They also target areas slightly farther out, such as around the Gibraltar Strait.
According to the Atlantic Orca Working Group, 700 such incidents have been recorded in the past five years. Victims have included the Polish yacht “Grazie Mamma II” of Morskie Mile. The number of attacks has been rising since 2000, though it declined to about half in 2022 compared to 2023’s 60 attacks.
Martin Bjouw of the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research notes it is unclear why orcas attack boats, suggesting possibilities of play or training before larger prey attacks.
