Video Shows Humpback Whale Crashing Down On Boat During 'Insane' Moment
By Jason Hall
July 25, 2022
An "insane" moment in which a humpback whale briefly submerged a boat off the Massachusetts coast was caught on camera Sunday (July 24) morning.
Footage of the encounter showing the large mammal jump out of the water and crash down on the bow of a 19-foot boat was shared with NBC Boston.
The incident took place in the area of White Horse Beach in Plymouth at around 10:00 a.m., according to town officials via NBC News.
“It was insane," one witness, Ryder Parkhurst, told NBC Boston. "The guy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, that’s all. Pops up, bang ... right on the bow of the guy’s boat.”
“I just saw the boat go freaking flying, it was crazy,” Parkhurst said. “It was nuts. I couldn’t believe the thing was still floating.”
CLOSE CALL: A whale struck a fishing boat off the coast of Plymouth, Massachusetts, with the whale breaching and then landing on the vessel. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
— ABC News (@ABC) July 25, 2022
Whales have frequently been spotted in the area over the past week. https://t.co/Kb0EM7fMYZ pic.twitter.com/qDT8ic8Kiy
Local officials issued a statement obtained by NBC News, which confirmed "no injuries and no major damage that affected the seaworthiness of the vessel" after a Plymouth Harbormaster Department boat responded to the scene and checked on the boat and its occupants.
The department was already monitoring the area after prior whale sightings recently.
Last Friday (July 22), paddleboarder Bob Babcock captured a video of a massive whale jumping out of the water and onto a boat, NBC Boston reports.
Another paddleboarder, Michael Manfredi, also captured photos of a humpback whale jumping out of the water last Sunday (July 17), NBC Boston reports.