In the last month, something no one has heard of in years has repeatedly been occurring. Orcas have been hitting boats along the coasts of Europe. In one case, five people had to be rescued after a group of orcas hit and sank their sailboat off the coast of Portugal. As the boat went down, they inflated a life-raft and were picked up by a nearby fishing boat.

         These encounters have been nearly unheard of for years now, but since 2020, marine biologists have been noticing these encounters happening more and more often. These killer whales have been approaching boats and striking the rudders, sometimes even breaking them off. These researchers urge the public not to see these incidents as maliciousness, just curiosity. Orcas are intelligent and when something unknown enters their lives or presence, they want to learn about it.