Video: Humpback Whale Caught on Camera Slamming Into Fishermen's Boat Off the Massachusetts Coast

A humpback whale went viral on social media after footage of it shows that it partially landed on a boat carrying several fishermen. The incident occurred off the coast of the town of Plymouth in Massachusetts, United States, on Sunday, July 24. The massive marine animal was believed to be chasing a school of fish when it jumped out of the water.

The incident off White Horse Beach reportedly came as a fascination both to those who witnessed it first hand and watched it online. However, local authorities urge the public to maintain a relatively safe distance to the giant sea creatures, highlighting that such encounter poses a threat both to humans and the whales.

In addition, the incident is only one of the many related instances of vessel strikes. It is a term coined by marine authorities to describe the increasing cases of physical contact between vessels and whales in the open oceans worldwide.

These events are common in areas where commercial and maritime activities are prevalent, including in the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Also called ship strikes, research indicate vessel strikes kill approximately thousands of whales each year.

Whale Strikes Fishing Boat

(Photo : Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)

The viral video, originally recorded from two cellphones from an undisclosed source, was uploaded by the YouTube channel WCVB Channel 5 Boston, as reported on Monday, July 25.

The video had a caption indicating the whale breached the fishing boat before going back to the waters again. In addition, it adds the marine area off the Massachusetts town has recorded sightings of whales many times in the past week as of July 25.

The fishermen in the 19-foot vessel said no one was injured from the incident but claimed their boat sustained light damage from the impact. Still, they managed to get back to shore, as cited by Fox News.

Also Read: Vessel Strikes: Oceanographers Develop Robotic Buoys to Protect Vanishing Whale Population from Ship Collisions

Avoiding Encounters

The video also shows that a school of fish was leaping from the water before the large whale appeared. This was supported by wildlife experts when they confirmed the school are drawing in both fishing boats and three juvenile humpback whales off the Plymouth coast.

Fishermen engaging in recreational activities or people in the area are being advised to provide space of at least 100 feet or more when encountering whales, according to Allison Ferreria, a member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as cited by WHDH-TV.

Vessel Strikes

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, scientists estimate around 80 whales die each year off the US West Coast and in the Atlantic; roughly 75% of these deaths are being caused by vessel strikes, which have been deemed as unnecessary.

The center emphasizes that ships in general are the only "oceangoing entities" that rival whales in terms of size, which can kill the marine creatures instantly. Moreover, smaller entities like speedboats can cause extreme pain and death to manatees.

The US government, with respect to some states, imposes measures, including speed limitation and guided navigation, to protect whales both on the Pacific and Atlantic waters.