Video footage captured the moment a breaching whale landed on a 19-foot fishing boat Sunday off the coast of Massachusetts.
The incident took place around 10:00 a.m. near Manomet Point in Plymouth, CBS News reported. A Plymouth Harbormaster boat had been assigned to the area in response to frequent whale sightings and was on the scene during the breach.
This interaction @Plymouth_Harbor is a reminder of how whale and boater interactions can become dangerous! For ways to remain safe while boating around whales, please visit: https://t.co/Q0oHmmzf5F #SeeASpout https://t.co/g1WaENv4vP
— PlymouthHarbormaster (@Plymouth_Harbor) July 24, 2022
The whale, likely a humpback, can be seen in the video breaching the water and landing on the bow of the fishing boat. Its weight submerged the front of the boat momentarily, but the boat did not fully capsize.
Whales have been spotted in the Plymouth area recently, creating an uptick in excitement, according to Whale and Dolphin Conservationist Regina Asmutis-Silvia. Earlier in July, a Plymouth paddleboarder spotted multiple whales swimming around a fishing boat. (RELATED: Over Two-Dozen Shark Sightings On Cape Cod In A Single Weekend)
Even small whales, weighing around 50 to 60 thousand pounds, can be a threat to boaters, Asmutis-Silvia told CBS. “They’re not going to pay attention to what’s going on around them. So they’re not looking around for kayakers or paddleboarders or even boaters. They’re just kind of focusing on food,” she said.
CLOSE CALL: Breaching whale lands on fishing boat off Manomet Point in Plymouth https://t.co/hu2tLZuJJS pic.twitter.com/rntkAHGr0c
— WBZ | CBS Boston News (@wbz) July 24, 2022
“The Plymouth Harbormaster Department recommends a distance of at least 100 yards to minimize potential interactions with whales. This interaction, while rare, is a reminder that these interactions can be dangerous for both boaters and whales,” the town of Plymouth wrote in a Facebook statement about the incident.
No one was injured in the incident and the fishing boat did not sustain any major damage, town officials continued in the statement. The Massachusetts Environmental Police has taken over the ongoing investigation into the incident.