Two fishermen found themselves in icy waters off the New Hampshire coast after a humpback whale accidentally collided with their boat on Tuesday. The incident, captured on a mobile camera, shows the massive whale breaching and landing on their small vessel near Portsmouth. Both fishermen, not wearing life jackets, were thrown into the sea as their boat capsized.
Former NHL player Ryan Whitney shared the dramatic video on social media, commenting, “There is a pissed-off whale patrolling the waters of Portsmouth, NH, today. Head on swivel if you’re out there.”
There is a pissed off whale patrolling the waters of Portsmouth NH today. Head on swivel if you’re out there pic.twitter.com/xQPIHs8ZjN
— Ryan Whitney (@ryanwhitney6) July 23, 2024
Dianna Schulte, co-founder and director of research for the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation in Portsmouth, described the event as an accident. She noted that the juvenile humpback, approximately 30 feet long, was feeding when it unexpectedly surfaced and collided with the boat.