In what was a dangerous encounter that could have been far worse, a lunge-feeding whale landed on the bow of a fishing boat, forcing the stern out of the water and no doubt putting a scare into the passengers.
The incident occurred off Plymouth, Massachusetts, around 10 a.m. Sunday in the White Horse Beach area where humpback whales have been spotted feeding recently, according to WCVB and a press release from Plymouth Harbormaster Chad Hunter.
Video of the encounter was captured by “Leo and Gasser, age 15” from a nearby boat, ViralHog reported.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WL9RGZxeJYA
A Harbormaster boat assigned to the area to watch for any potential violations of the Marine Mammal Act responded to check on the vessel occupants. The boat operator reported that nobody was injured and the 19-foot vessel sustained no major damage that effected its seaworthiness.
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The incident is being investigated by the Massachusetts Environmental Police.
A photo provided by the Harbormaster shows the extent of the vessel’s damage. What injuries the whale might have sustained is unclear.
Though Hunter said the whale was breaching, it was clearly lunge feeding, as baitfish can be seen jumping out of the water in the video.
The encounter shows that these interactions can be dangerous for boaters and whales, and boaters need to heed federal guidelines that require them to stay 100 yards away from whales.
Photos courtesy of WCVB and the Plymouth Harbormaster.