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FOUR ORCAS SPOTTED OFF ALGARVE COAST, BETWEEN CARVOEIRO AND FERRAGUDO

Apod of four orcas, commonly known as killer whales, were spotted five kilometres out at sea between Carvoeiro and Ferragudo on Saturday July 25. “It was one of the most spectacular sightings we have ever witnessed because the orcas were right beside our boat and even looked at us,” André Dias from dolphin watching company Wildwatch told Correio da Manhã tabloid.

The group included one adult male, one adult female and two young calves.

“The male orca must have been between eight and nine metres long and swam underneath our boat,” said Júlio Lourenço from Allboat.

Orcas often travel along the Algarve coast as they follow the annual tuna migration between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. While they have colloquially become known as killer whales, they are actually part of the dolphin family.

“Spanish fishermen began calling them killer whales because some of them would prey on smaller whales,” explained André Dias, adding that the orcas that visited the Algarve mostly feed on tuna and are not dangerous to humans.

According to National Geographic, orcas are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world’s most powerful predators.

“They’re at the top of the food chain and have very diverse diets, feasting on fish, penguins, and marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales, employing teeth that can be four inches long.” source: theportugalresident.com

SALEMA BEACH BOASTS NEW ALL-TERRAIN BEACH CHAIR FOR DISABLED BEACHGOERS

An all-terrain beach chair which allows people with disabilities to enjoy a safer and more comfortable beachgoing experience has been purchased by Vila do Bispo Council for Salema beach.

The chair will be managed by the beach’s Atlântico restaurant and will help transport disabled beachgoers when they go swimming. Salema beach received an award this year for being an “accessible beach”. Source: www.portugalresident.com

PRAIA DA LUZ’S ROMAN SPA ATTRACTION RENOVATION

The Lagos council is to invest around ¤312,000 in reconstructing and refurbishing Praia da Luz’s Roman Spa attraction. The construction of a Welcome Centre for the Balneário Romano da Praia da Luz will take 240 days, this agreement will help in the conservation, enhancement and dissemination of this archaeological site.

The purpose of the intervention is to create conditions for the reopening of the monument for the public to enjoy, including access for citizens with reduced mobility.

The project programme, designed by Pedro Alarcão Arquitetos, contemplates: the creation of a building to welcome visitors; the implementation of defined visitor routes; conservation and consolidation actions for the ruins; punctual reconstruction actions that allow the visitor to better understand the former structure, as well as the sharing of the results obtained and the architectural intervention implemented. The intervention programme joins works of study of the ruined architectural structure, as well as its reconstruction, communicated in several ways, namely through: information panels, placed next to the monument; an integral model that will be exposed in the exhibition space of the support building; and a three-dimensional virtual simulation, with 3D animation, where the bathers’ path in the Balneário Romano will be reconstructed.

The purpose of the proposed building and tour is to highlight the archaeological location and return it to the people, now accompanied by a scientific contextualization that unveils the history of this thermal building and its integration into an important Roman industrial centre.

The works are part of the project “Route of the Archaeological Stations of Lagos” and the application of the municipality of Lagos with the same designation that was approved under the CRESC Algarve 2020. Source: theportugalnews.com