A dramatic incident unfolded in Portsmouth Harbor on Tuesday morning when a whale breached and landed on a boat, overturning it. The event was captured on video by nearby boaters, showing the moment the whale emerged from the water and crashed onto the vessel, which had at least two people on board.
On Monday, a humpback whale was spotted making its way down the Piscataqua River between the border of New Hampshire and Maine. It leaped out of the water and landed on a center console boat that was home to two fishermen who ended up in the ocean after the vessel tipped over.… pic.twitter.com/jhVSTE7DQP
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Colin Yager, 16, and his brother Wyatt, 19, from Maine, were fishing in the harbor when they witnessed the startling event. The brothers, who were on another boat, quickly recorded the breach and then rushed to assist the boaters in distress, according to WMTW-TV. They reported that one man jumped from the overturned boat, while the other, unable to jump, swiftly swam to the surface.
Local reports confirmed that neither of the men was injured in the incident. The U.S. Coast Guard also verified that both boaters were unharmed and that the whale appeared to be unscathed, as reported by WBTS-TV.
Whales are commonly seen in New Hampshire waters, particularly between June and August. Observers noted that a whale, possibly the same one involved in the breach, had been spotted in the same area prior to the incident.
This remarkable encounter highlights the unpredictable nature of wildlife interactions and the importance of remaining vigilant while on the water.
