Overview

• Five people were rescued on September 13 after a yacht sank off Portugal following repeated strikes by orcas, with coastal authorities coordinating the response.
• The Independent reports a separate collision off Portugal earlier this week that required four rescues, noting it was the third such incident in seven days.
• Researchers led by Dr Javier Almunia are deploying floating buoys to capture killer whale calls during tuna hunts and will compare them to sounds made during boat encounters.
• Plans include attaching video cameras and sound tags to orcas and using decoy boats to record interactions, testing the hypothesis that rudder-focused rammings are playful rather than aggressive.
• An orca expert says interactions have fallen by about 80% since Spain advised sailors in 2022 to navigate closer to shore, as officials and sailors continue to update guidance in known hotspots.