Close encounters: Whales land on, bump into boats in Massachusetts

PLYMOUTH, Mass. — Officials in Massachusetts have issued a warning after a humpback whale breached and landed on a boat, days after another boat was nudged by a whale.

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The Plymouth Harbormaster said in a news release that the whale landed on the bow of a 19-foot vessel in the White Horse Beach area. There were no injuries reported and no significant damage was done to the boat, which was able to return to the boat ramp safely.

On Friday, a whale was seen rocking a boat off White Horse Beach. Bob Babcock was paddleboarding when he recorded the whale breach and nudged the boat off Manomet Point, WFXT reported.

“[The whale] bumped into the boat and spun it, oh, probably 90 degrees, maybe, and it bumped up out of the water about a foot in the front,” Babcock told WFXT. “Those guys were laughing seconds after it happened. We were all exclaiming rather vocally.”

Another video that Babcock posted to Facebook shows a whale breaching just inches away from his paddleboard.

“Your stomach kind of gets in your throat for a second,” Babcock told WFXT. “It’s a little bit of nervousness. The whale was right there. I looked down, and the fluke was underneath my board. It was one side here, other side there, and then he just kind of swung sideways and went underneath the board. His tail, I thought for sure, was going to come up and hit me.”

Whale and Dolphin Conservation, a nonprofit which works in the worldwide conservation of the mammals, said in a news release that it was increasing advocacy about humpback whales because of the sightings to ensure the animals’ safety. The WDC said that the whales seen in the last week were identified as humpback whales, which can grow to 35-55 feet long and weigh up to 40 tons.

The area where the whales have been seen is a feeding ground for the animals, naturalist Lindsay Hirt, who works for whale watching tour agency Captain John Boats, told WFXT.

“What they do is, in the summertime, they hug the coast and migrate north and come to the Gulf of Maine area,” Hirt told WFXT. “And one of the really big hotspots for their all-you-can-eat-buffet happens to be Stellwagen Bank and Cape Cod waters.”

The Plymouth Harbormaster reminded boaters that if they “see a spout … watch out,” and to remain at least 100 yards away from whales, which can be dangerous.

“People want to get close. You want to see. They want that perfect shot,” Hirt told WFXT. “And sometimes, when they do that, they do get a little close. And the last thing we want to do, in terms of humpback whale behavior and safety is to in any way injure or harass them.”

Humpback whales have been listed as endangered in the United States since 1970.

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