Latest news with #MichaelHatte
NDTV
2 days ago
- General
- NDTV
Drone Footage Shows Endangered Whale Calf Being Hit By Speedboat: "Absolutely Horrific"
A harrowing drone video has captured the moment a speedboat collided with an endangered whale calf off the coast of New South Wales. The impact clipped the calf's back and sent the boat's occupants tumbling. The collision was captured on a drone by photographer Michael Hatte, who was filming the whale mother and calf near Stanwell Park. He expressed his helplessness in preventing the accident as the boat drew closer to the whales. The video shows a small speedboat running over the whale calf, sending the three occupants tumbling. After the impact, the calf dove deeper into the water to rest beside its mother. Fortunately, both the whale and calf escaped without major injuries. "I had already stopped filming, but could see the boat heading straight for the pair that were just below the surface. I pressed record and captured the whole event, which is 3 seconds long. Bub moving it's head just at the right time, impact could have been devastating," Mr Hatte wrote while sharing the video on his Instagram page. Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michael Hatte (@michaelhatte) "It was absolutely horrific," Michael Hatte later told Yahoo News, describing the moment. "I'm not an emotional guy, but I was absolutely gutted after the incident," he said. The footage has gone viral, sparking widespread concern and outrage over the incident. A NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesperson said the footage was "alarming", considering only a handful of calves are born each year in NSW. "This is the only mother and calf pair known in NSW waters so far this season. Boaties must keep an active lookout to avoid this happening again during the whale season," they said in a statement. Southern right whales, an endangered species, are slowly recovering from decades of commercial whaling, but still face significant challenges. Whale scientist Dr. Vanessa Pirotta described the recent incident as "tragic", emphasising the need for boaters to be vigilant, especially during the May to November migration period when these whales are most active. Whale expert Dr. Barry McGovern of the Pacific Whales Foundation noted that southern right whales tend to swim just below the surface, making them difficult to spot, which can increase the risk of collisions with boats. "They also don't have dorsal fins like your humpback whales so they can be really difficult to see and if you're travelling at speed it can be very easy to miss them, to not see them. The larger boats can really impact them," he said.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
‘That's horrible': Speedboat runs over endangered whale calf, chilling drone footage emerges
A drone footage capturing the moment when a speedboat collided with an endangered whale calf off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, has caught the Internet's attention. The accident was recorded by photographer Michael Hatte when he was filming a humpback whale mother and her calf near the northern end of Stanwell Park. The now-viral video shows the speedboat running over the animal, and the occupants of the boat being thrown forward. Speaking to Yahoo News, Hatte shared details about his gut-wrenching experience, calling it a 'recipe for disaster.' 'It was absolutely horrific. I'm not an emotional guy, but I was absolutely gutted after the incident'. He also described the accident as a 'recipe for disaster'. 'It could've been absolutely disastrous for the trio involved. They are extremely lucky guys,' Hatte said. Hatte, who continued to monitor the situation via drone, said he noticed the boat slowing down afterwards, although it was unclear if this was due to shock or possible damage to the vessel. Watch the video here: A post shared by Brut (@brutamerica) Yahoo News reported that the three men on board the speedboat were not wearing lifejackets. Upon impact with the calf, they were thrown forward, piling on top of each other. The mother of the calf involved in the latest accident was also struck by a boat just weeks earlier. Despite both collisions, researchers say the whales appear to be recovering well in the days since the latest accident, according to the Yahoo News report. The video quickly gained traction, prompting a wave of reactions. 'Humans. How about banning non essential boats and issuing serious fines and suspension of licence if ignored. No boats on the water equals safe passage for whales. It's Not hard,' a user wrote. 'Thats horrible. Hope the calf and mom are perfectly healthy,' another user commented. 'My heart hurts when I watch the boat and baby hit. So sad to see but glad the calf is safe and so is mum,' a third user reacted.
News.com.au
21-07-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Baby whale struck by boat off NSW coast
Extraordinary drone footage has captured the moment a boat hits a baby whale off the coast of NSW. Content creator Michael Hatte was tracking two southern right whales – a mother and calf – as they migrated north past the Illawarra region on Saturday. His footage, taken at Stanwell Park, shows the calf swimming behind its mother when a small boat carrying three people comes into view. The boat drives straight over the calf, with the impact knocking the vessel's three occupants off their feet. 'I had already stopped filming but could see the boat heading straight for the pair that were just below the surface,' Mr Hatte, who gave permission to use his video, wrote. 'I pressed record and captured the whole event, which is literally 3 seconds long. 'Bub moving it's head just at the right time, impact could have been devastating!' Mr Hatte had been whale watching with his wife and called the organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans (ORRCA) to report the incident. 'Followed bub for as long as I could, no signs of injury and actually went back to feeding and playing with Seaweed not long after in some very shallow water,' he wrote on social media. Whales are protected under NSW laws and boats must stay 100m away from adult whales and 300m away when calves are present. For jetskis it's 300m at all times. ORRCA had been tracking the duo as they moved along the NSW coastline, and believed the older whale was also hit by a boat near Merimbula on the South Coast earlier this month. In a post on its Facebook on Saturday, ORRCA said the mother 'carries a vessel strike injury on her flank, likely caused by a boat propeller'. 'With her injury, this mother is already facing additional challenges, making it even more important that she and her calf are given space & quiet as they travel. 'Southern Right Whales rely on sheltered coastal bays to rest and feed their young, and they need to do this without interference.' Its spokesperson, Pip Jacobs, told the ABC the baby appeared to have recovered and the two whales were seen in Sydney Harbour on Sunday. 'Vessel strikes can be fatal … but we're pleased to confirm that mum and baby seem to be doing well,' she said. 'These whales are particularly difficult to spot from the water, so they're often in the way of boats who don't know they're there. 'We know no one wants to hit a whale.'
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Endangered whale calf hit by boat in shocking drone footage: 'Absolutely horrific'
Heartstopping drone footage has captured the moment a speedboat struck an endangered whale calf off the NSW coast, clipping the animal's back and throwing the occupants of the boat forward. The incident has sparked a renewed call for boaters to stay alert during whale season, as researchers track the calf's migration north. Photographer Michael Hatte was filming the mother and baby whales off the north end of Stanwell Park on Sunday, just south of Sydney, when he noticed the boat approaching. He told Yahoo News he watched the boat get closer and closer, and realised there was nothing he could do to stop them. 'It was absolutely horrific,' he said. "I'm not an emotional guy, but I was absolutely gutted after the incident." He described the scene as a "recipe for disaster", saying it could've been "absolutely disastrous" for the trio involved. "They are extremely lucky guys," he said. The three occupants of the boat were not wearing lifejackets, and were thrown on top of one another after hitting the calf. Michael said he used his drone to check on the boaters after the collision and noticed they were driving a lot slower after the impact — though he was unsure whether this was due to shock or equipment damage. Tragically, the calf's mother was also hit by a boat several weeks ago, though both animals appear to be doing well in the days following the latest incident. Boaters urged to slow down during whale season Southern right whales are an endangered species, and while their populations are recovering from the effects of commercial whaling from previous decades, they still have a long way to go. Whale scientist Dr Vanessa Pirotta told Yahoo the incident is tragic and serves as a reminder to boaters to be aware, particularly in the May to November months of migration. 'This is obviously a terrible thing to see, but this is an opportunity to send vessels a friendly reminder to keep an eye out,' she said. 'It's ironic that something the size of a bus can get hit, right? But even on the harbour last week, people just didn't see it. People aren't intentionally wanting to do it. Sometimes it just happens.' The species don't have dorsal fins, and can easily be overlooked when sitting under the surface, UNSW PhD candidate Jane McPhee-Frew said. 'They don't tend to sit up as high on the water when they breathe. They don't tend to splash around as much, especially when they've got really young calves, they will often cruise just below the water,' she said. 'They're not going deep, they're not going fast. It actually is not hard at all to miss them. So in that regard, you just have to expect them to be there all the time.' Fines, loss of licence for breaching rules In NSW, boats must stay a minimum of 100 metres away from whales, but if there is a calf present that distance increases to 300m. Rules around white whales are even stricter, with a 500m distance imposed. Breaching these regulations can result in significant penalties, with individuals facing on-the-spot fines of $1,320. Commercial operators such as whale watching tours can be fined $3,300. Ms McPhee-Frew said there are two things boaters should be conscious of during whale season: 'You need to look out for the blow': When whales breathe and blow out a spray of seawater, that's a giveaway that there is a whale just under the surface; and 'Just slow down': This time of year in particular, you have to assume that there are whales along your path. As well as wearing a lifejacket, she added that it's important that boaters also use a kill cord in case they get thrown overboard. While accidents like this can result in harm to wildlife and humans, it could also lead to a loss of licence. Failing to maintain proper lookout while boating could result in a licence being cancelled or suspended. Both Dr Pirotta and Ms McPhee-Frew are calling for education on whale safety to be a mandatory component for boat licensing. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
ABC News
21-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Southern Right whale calf hit by boat
An endangered Southern Right Whale calf has been hit by a small boat off the Illawarra Coast weeks after it mother was struck by another vessel. Supplied: Michael Hatte and Orrca
