Two photos of the incident were shared on the Mercedes-Benz Oceanic Lounge Instagram page. One warns of the danger of orcas in the area, and another shows the sailboat that has been damaged.

According to Notícias ao Minuto, a source from Mercedes Benz Oceanic Lounge said they were "on a Dolphinwatch trip" when passengers on board noticed "erratic movements on the sailboat".

The tourist boat managed to rescue the people on board the sailboat, which, despite efforts to tow it, eventually sank.

Meanwhile, "the navy arrived" and "we came ashore with the crew."


In a statement sent to newsrooms, the National Maritime Authority reported that the five people on board "were physically well, without needing medical assistance, and the sailboat was transported to the port of Oeiras."

However, this wasn't the only vessel disturbed by the pod of orcas in Portuguese waters.

In total, nine people had to be rescued on Saturday afternoon, on two separate vessels: the aforementioned sailboat, carrying five people, and a tourist boat off Cascais Bay, with four people on board.

In a statement sent to newsrooms, the National Maritime Authority stated that the alert was received at 12:30 p.m. "due to an interaction with orcas" and that, therefore, "crew members from the Cascais Lifeguard Station and the Lisbon Harbor Master's Office were immediately activated."

Upon arrival in Cascais, "it was found that the crew members were physically well, without needing medical assistance, and were evacuated with the assistance of a nearby maritime tourist vessel," the statement said.