A whale has been filmed crashing down onto the bow of a small fishing boat that was partly taken under the water by its weight.
A video caught the moment when the humpback whale breached and landed on the 19-feet-long boat to the shock of onlookers at Plymouth, Massachusetts, last Sunday morning.
It happened a few hundred yards from Manomet Point which is a popular place for whales to feed.
The Plymouth harbourmaster has now urged sailors to remain at least 100 yards away from whales to avoid further accidents.
“This interaction, while rare, is a reminder that these interactions can be dangerous for both boaters and whales,” read a statement from the Plymouth Harbormaster Department.
Luckily nobody was injured in the incident and the fishing boat only sustained slight damage.
"The boat was in the right place at the wrong time. This could have been much worse for all involved," Plymouth Harbormaster Chad Hunter told NBC10 Boston.
"Children like to lean over the side of the boat to watch the fish so it is very lucky that nobody got hurt here. An incident like this is pretty rare but very dangerous to boaters," he added.
While a popular spot for whales, there were also many fishing boats there on Sunday morning due to there being plenty of bait fish.
One onlooker said he couldn’t believe the boat was still floating after the whale flopped off its bow.
"All of a sudden, full breech, ten feet out of the water, slams on top of this guy’s boat, like his bow goes down, basically, into the water, engine out, full thing pops off, whale rolls over the side of it, totally fine, but his boat was messed up," he said.
"It was insane, the guy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, that’s all."
The non-profit Whale & Dolphin Conservation said in a statement Monday: "It is important to remember that vessel strikes not only can harm the whale but also be dangerous to humans and vessels as well. It is vital to stay at least 100 yards away from whales to minimize any potential interactions."
The full statement from the town of Plymouth Facebook page read : "This morning, in the White Horse Beach area, a whale breached and landed on the bow of a small 19’ vessel.
"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 operator reported no injuries and no major damage that affected the seaworthiness of the vessel.
"Plymouth Harbormaster forwarded all information to the Massachusetts Environmental Police to handle the investigation into the incident. The Plymouth Harbormaster Department recommends a distance of at least 100 yards to minimize potential interactions with whales."
