Noise deterrents are being developed to scare orcas away from boats, a Portuguese trade association said.
The association said sailors in the area are "afraid" to take their boats into Portuguese waters.
Alfredo López of the Grupo de trabajo Orca Atlántica, which is collaborating with the Portuguese government, told Insider the work is in the very early stages.
Noise deterrents typically work by emitting pulses of high-frequency sound to scare away sea creatures from an area.
While types of acoustic deterrents exist, none are specifically designed to be used for orcas and sailboats, he said.
Persons:
Orcas, —, Bessa de Carvalho, Alfredo López, López, Jelmer van Beek, Lusa, Lopez
Organizations:
Service, Privacy, National Association of Cruises, ANC, Portuguese Navy, Institute for, Grupo, Portland Press Herald, Apple
Locations:
Portuguese, orcas, Shetland, Scotland, Algarve, Portugal