NY Daily News: Whale hits small boat off the coast of New Jersey
By MICHAEL SHERIDAN, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Now here’s one whale of a tale.
A boat off the coast of New Jersey was struck by a whale that leapt from the water and landed on the craft Monday.
The massive mammal slammed into the 25-foot boat around noon, according to a post on the Friends of Seaside Park Facebook page.
“A whale breached the surface and landed on a boat only a few dozen yards off D Street,” the post said. “The boat is now beached on the shores.”
There were two people on the craft when it was struck, the report said. The pair swam to shore and were not injured. The boat itself ended up beached, and a truck later picked it up with a trailer.
The whale, which the report indicated appeared to be a humpback, seemed unfazed and simply went about its business.
“The whale did what whales usually do — they’re looking for food, and they don’t pay attention,” Bob Schoelkopf, director of the Brigantine-based Marine Mammal Stranding Center, told NJ.com.
There have been a number of reported whale sighting recently in New Jersey.
Last week, a 30-foot humpback whale was spotted in the Shrewsbury River, and incredible drone video also captured another whale swimming along the Jersey shore.
During this time of year, humpback whales migrate into the colder North Atlantic waters from the south, according to the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. They often feed in more shallow waters, and are commonly spotted off the northeast coast of the United States in the spring and summer.
Humpback whales are a favorite among whale watchers due to their acrobatic, highly visible surface activities and their tendency to stay close to the coast. To learn more about them see our humpback whale species spotlight.