Orcas Go on the Attack – They Are Massively Sinking Sailing Yachts 0 571

A family of five was on board — a married couple and three children aged eight, ten, and twelve, reports Deutsche Welle.

The yacht departed from the French port of Lorient on September 29 and was heading along the coast of the Iberian Peninsula. After eleven days at sea, the captain signaled for help: orcas had struck the hull of the vessel several times. The Lisbon Maritime Rescue Center responded immediately — the family managed to get into a lifeboat. After a while, they were picked up by a fishing vessel. The yacht sank almost immediately after the collision.

According to Portuguese authorities, this is already the 61st such incident in 2025. Just a month ago, on September 13, orcas sank another yacht off the coast of Caparica, not far from Lisbon.

Scientists are still scratching their heads over the behavior of these marine giants. Orcas are the smartest creatures of the ocean, and their social bonds and memory astonish researchers. However, since 2020, dozens of "encounters" between orcas and sailing boats have been recorded along the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal. Most often, the animals strike the rudder and stern, as if testing the equipment for durability.

Biologists avoid the word "attack" and speak of "interactions" — perhaps this is play or a reaction to previous collisions with boats. But the fact remains: even the most good-natured sailors now look warily at the shiny black-and-white fins appearing alongside their boats.