Breaching Whale Knocks Small Boat, Tosses Over Occupants In New Jersey

A small boat sustained some damage, and its occupants knocked overboard Monday (June 8) after a breaching whale hit the vessel. Experts say the whale may have been looking for food and was not paying attention to whether boats or other things are floating in the area.

An Unexpected Sight

According to witnesses, the two occupants of the 25-foot vessel were fishing near the shores of Seaside Park in Ocean County, New Jersey, when the whale, which looked like a humpback, suddenly breached out of the water. The boat’s occupants did not have time to hold on to anything as the vessel capsized, tossing them into the water.

Seaside Park visitors uploaded an image on Facebook of the boat, which was washed ashore after the incident. The two unnamed occupants of the boat were able to swim to safety as the whale kept breaching and swimming. Witnesses say the whale did not appear to sustain any injuries and looked totally fine.

Minding Its Own Business

Marine Mammal Stranding Center director, Bob Schoelkopf, told local news outlet NJ.com that the whale was probably minding its own business and doing what it always does, which is swimming and breaching. He said humpback whales are gentle and non-aggressive by nature, so it is unlikely it may have deliberately knocked the boat off the water.

They are, however, huge and known to be the curious type. Unlike other most sea creatures, humpback whales would sometimes approach boats as if investigating the floating object. Experts also reveal they are powerful swimmers and would use their gigantic tail fin to propel themselves through the water. These gentle giants can leap out of the water into the air and land with a tremendous splash, causing a huge wake that could capsize an average-size boat.

A Migratory Pathway

While there are frequent sightings of humpback whales in New Jersey waters, scientists do not know if they are using it as a habitat or just a migratory pathway between their feeding grounds during summer in the north and breeding grounds in the south on winter season.

Feeding has also been observed in New Jersey waters, and individual whales have been spotted near the shoreline, including the area within Delaware Bay. The state of New Jersey lists humpback whales as an endangered species.