A leaping whale landed on the bow of a fishing boat off the coast of Massachusetts on Sunday in a dramatic moment caught on camera. No one was injured and the boat was not seriously damaged, city officials said.
Because whales have been in the area, a Plymouth Harbormaster ship was monitoring the waters this weekend as a precaution.
“This is definitely both a sense of excitement and concern,” said Regina Asmutis – Silvia of North American Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
A man on shore captured photos as the whale, which appeared to be a humpback, jumped up and landed on the bow of the ship, briefly submerging the front of the ship, before sliding back into the water.
In a statement published in Facebook. The city of Plymouth said the 19-foot boat’s occupants reported no injuries or significant damage affecting the seaworthiness of the boat.
Asmutis-Silvia said the whale’s actions were not intentional. “They’re not going to pay attention to what’s going on around them. So they’re not looking for kayakers or paddleboarders or even boaters. They’re just focusing on food,” she said.
Brooke Perry, a photographer from Ohio, ran to the Plymouth shoreline when she learned the whales were close by. “It’s really nice for tourists to be able to see them up close because a lot of times you can’t,” he said.
But Asmutis-Silvia warned that even the size of a small whale would be potentially dangerous for boaters.
The Massachusetts Environmental Police is investigating.
