Overview
- New interviews and videos published Oct. 25–26 recount how seven orcas encircled the Ti’faré and pounded the rudder and hull for roughly 35–45 minutes.
- Sustained blows broke the steering and breached the hull, with water rising inside the cabin to about 70 cm before the vessel was lost.
- The family launched distress flares after emergency teams struggled to locate them due to incorrect coordinates, and they were ultimately evacuated alive.
- Researchers place the event within a regional surge of interactions off Spain and Portugal, citing at least 500 encounters from 2020 to 2023 with about 20% of boats reporting damage.
- Experts say orcas commonly target rudders during these episodes and characterize the behavior as play, while authorities and scientists continue to monitor the hotspot areas.