Whale dies after collision with small boat off New Jersey shore
BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A minke whale died off the New Jersey shore after a collision that nearly tipped over a small boat and threw a person overboard.
Social media video of the collision in Barnegat Bay on Saturday afternoon shows the motor boat rocking after the impact and the 20-foot (six-metre) whale splashing near the craft before swimming away. The person thrown overboard manages to tread water next to the boat.
The whale was found dead after it came to rest on a sandbar in shallow water. Marine authorities were not able to get close to the whale due to tidal conditions, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, a not-for-profit rescue, rehabilitation and release organization.
'At this point, we really don't have much to go on,' Jay Pagel, stranding coordinator at the center, said Sunday. 'The side of the animal that we were able to observe had no obvious marks on it that we could see. But again, our visibility was very limited.'
Pagel said there were reports the whale had injuries prior to the collision captured on video. He noted there was a second video posted online that appears to show the whale making contact with a pontoon boat after the initial collision.
The animal will be towed to a state park on Monday morning for a necropsy to determine the cause of death.
The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Quebec zoo adopts Alberta cougars
After a mother cougar was poached in Alberta, Parc Safari took in her orphaned cubs to give them a safe home. Two weeks ago Hemingford, Que.'s Parc Safari adopted two orphaned cougar cubs from Alberta, where cougars can still be found in Canada. A mother cougar was shot by a poacher in Alberta in February, leaving her babies behind, according to Parc Safari CEO Serge Lussier. That's when he got the call from the Alberta Wildlife Game Warden. 'I have two cubs, two kittens, five months old, four or five months old. Out in the wild, they will die. They can't survive,' Lussier said. He said time was pressing and there are only two options in cases like this: the animals that can't survive in the wild can either be placed in accredited zoos or be euthanized. 'We don't want to euthanize them,' said Lussier. He called on the Calgary and Vancouver Zoos to hold the cubs while Parc Safari revamped an enclosure for the siblings. They moved into their new home in late July and seem to be settling in. Though the female is more on the shy side, her brother gives her security, said Lussier. Motion sensor cameras inside the enclosure show the 10 month old siblings exploring together. Lussier explained that cougars are not an endangered species, but are certainly more rare than they used to be. 'There used to be cougars all over Eastern Canada. There's none in Ontario. There is none in the east. not in the Eastern United States anymore. They used to be all over, right? Now they're only out West. Let's protect what's left,' he said. Parc Safari put up a naming contest for the two new residents on its website to encourage families to get involved and learn more about these big beautiful cats. 'Let's be aware that our backyard, our beautiful Canada, needs to be protected,' said Lussier, pointing to the dozing felines. Parc Safari is open year-round for visits.
CBC
13 hours ago
- CBC
#TheMoment a community rescued a pod of dolphins stuck in the mud
Audley Pineo tells The National about the moment members of his community helped him rescue a pod of dolphins trapped in the mud in Canning, N.S.
CBC
15 hours ago
- CBC
Fort Smith's Damon McAllister recongized nationally for leadership and community commitment
A Fort Smith teenager has been recognized nationally for his leadership and commitment to his community. The 15-year-old won the Nelson Mayer Youth Recognition Award at the 35th annual youth forum. Carla Ulrich has that story.
