Unraveling the Mystery: Why Are Orcas 'Attacking' Boats Off Portugal's Coast?

Why Are Orcas Interacting with Boats?

Vessels, particularly sailboats, are easier targets for orcas because they move at slower speeds, allowing the orcas to keep pace. However, according to biologist Élio Vicente, only a minority of orcas develop an interest in these boats.

"The vast majority of orcas pass by and completely ignore the vessels and the sounds they make. Even for their own safety, they prefer to stay away," says the biologist.

Why Did These Animals Start Ramming Boats?

Researcher Joana Castro explains that, based on current scientific understanding and behavioral perspectives, these interactions with boats are linked to the 'socialization of these animals'. "They are playing and developing an interest in understanding what the rudder is," she clarifies.

The issue is that these are animals weighing many tons, so their play can cause severe damage to the rudder and potentially sink boats. "We believe these interactions are about curiosity and play, not defense or attack," she reaffirms. She notes that it started with juvenile specimens, and in some cases, adults have mirrored this behavior.

Élio Vicente adds that orcas are highly intelligent and 'learn by watching other animals do things', such as identifying and capturing prey. The same applies when they see another animal 'having fun with the rudder'; they join in, and due to their immense strength, they end up destroying that part of the boat.

Off the Portuguese coast, orcas move in small groups of five to seven animals. "It's rare to see larger groups," says the biologist, pointing out that orcas "live in a matriarchal system, like almost all dolphins."

"The basic unit is the mother and calf, which is weaned and, depending on its sex, either stays with the mother or moves away if it's male," he explains, noting that females tend to stay together. They can live in groups of two (mother and calf), three (mother, father, and calf), or sometimes in "groups of several females with their various calves until they are weaned."

Do Orcas Directly Attack People in the Sea?

Given the described interactions with rudders, orcas can pose a danger to boat safety and those on board—who could drown—but they are not a direct threat to people in the water, such as if they fall overboard or are swimming.

In fact, they do not bite. The damage they cause is due to the force applied with their snouts. Élio Vicente from Zoomarine states that orcas do not see humans as enemies. "They might be curious to see what we are and what we're doing, but they don't interact with us or intend to do anything negative towards us."

Joana Castro even says, "There are no records of orca attacks on people in the wild and natural environment. There are, however, attacks on people when [orcas] are in captivity."

She adds: "If there are deaths in the wild context, it's not directly due to an orca attack. It's unlikely that they would do anything to a person if they fall into the water. They even tend to move away in the presence of humans in the water."

What to Do When Spotting or Encountering Orcas with Boats?

"The most important thing is to alert the local search and rescue coordination center whenever there is an interaction or sighting of an orca," informs an official source from the National Maritime Authority and the Portuguese Navy to Observador.

The second recommendation from authorities is for people to, before going to sea with their recreational vessels, check the navigation warnings in effect for their area, which can be consulted on the anav.net website and are normally transmitted via radio communication to identified vessels navigating.