Overview

• The 11-meter sailboat Ti`fare went down about 45 nautical miles off Peniche after reports of a hull leak linked to orcas.
• A French–Portuguese couple and their three daughters issued a distress call, boarded a life raft, and were taken aboard a fishing vessel before an air force helicopter flew them to Montijo; all were uninjured.
• The voyage began in Lorient, France, on September 29, and the sinking occurred Friday evening before becoming public over the weekend.
• Portuguese authorities report 61 orca-encounter notifications in 2025, reflecting increased activity in national waters.
• Researchers describe these events as interactions rather than deliberate aggression, with the behavioral causes under investigation since a pattern emerged in 2020.