humpback whale

Whale Uninjured After Jumping on Boat in Plymouth

Massachusetts Environmental Police say six people were on board a boat when a whale jumped onto it off the coast of Plymouth; no humans or whales were injured

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No humans or animals were injured Sunday when a whale jumped onto a boat off the coast of Plymouth, Massachusetts, officials said Tuesday.

According to Massachusetts Environmental Police, six people were on board a boat registered to Michael Buckley when a humpback whale collided with the vessel. The incident was captured on video.

The boat sustained damage, but was able to return to dock without assistance. None of the boat's passengers were injured, and the whale was also unharmed, environmental police said.

Plymouth Harbormaster Chad Hunter told NBC10 Boston the close encounter occurred around 10 a.m. off the coast of White Horse Beach.

Justin Enggasser, a fisherman who saw the incident, said the whale surfaced afterward and appeared OK.

"When the whale came back up after the impact, opened its blowhole not too far from their boat and let out a sequence of like grunts that really almost sounded like a deep laughter. It was pretty amazing," he said.

Operators of any vessels or personal watercraft, including kayaks and paddleboards, are being urged to take caution in the waters near Manomet Point, where three juvenile humpbacks have been feeding.

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