On Tuesday, a group of killer whales attacked a sailboat with seven crew members off Cape Espichel in Sesimbra. The vessel, 12 meters long, suffered damage to the rudder and drifted.
The group issued a radio distress call, which was answered by a dolphin-watching tour boat near Meco with 11 tourists on board.
“We told the group that we were going to respond to the distress call because it was our responsibility. We arrived quickly, in 14 minutes, and realized that the seven crew members were fine, but a little scared,” he says. cm Sidoniou Pais, marine biologist and owner of Sea EO Tours.
The sailboat was towed by the National Maritime Authority, which also rushed to the site and escorted the group to Sesimbra. No one was hurt and no one needed help.
Killer whale attacks, especially on sailboats, are happening “increasingly,” a marine biologist warns. “We cannot forget that we are in the place of killer whales, in their natural habitat. There is always a risk, and what we can do is to understand this new behavior from them. We must understand how we can protect ourselves without harming them. “concludes Sidoniou Pais.