Read previewA fishing boat about a mile off the coast of New Hampshire capsized on Tuesday after a humpback whale came out of the water and smashed into it, according to video of the incident.
"So no attack by the humpback whale, just an unfortunate accident for both the whale and fisherman," he said, adding the whale may not have even realized the boat was there.
Smith, who studies humpback whale behavior, said lunging for fish is a very common behavior for the species.
AdvertisementAs for the humpback in the video, the whale may have been injured when it crashed into the boat.
Vessel collisions remain a threat to humpback whales, though typically, strikes by larger ships pose the greatest risk.
Persons:
—, Andrew Trites, Trites, Melanie Smith, Smith, WCVB
Organizations:
Service, New Hampshire, Business, Marine Mammal Research, University of British, University of New
Locations:
New, University of British Columbia, University of New Hampshire