A Minke whale died off the New Jersey shore, at Barnegat Bay, on Saturday after a collision that nearly tipped over a small boat and threw a person overboard. The whole incident was captured on camera by passengers from another boat nearby. The whale was found dead after it came to rest on a sandbar in shallow water. Marine authorities were not able to get close to the whale due to tidal conditions, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, a not-for-profit rescue, rehabilitation, and release organization.
Statement From Marine Mammal Stranding Center
"At approximately 3:40 PM, a boater in the area reported that a vessel had struck the whale, causing the vessel to nearly capsize and a passenger to go overboard," according to a statement from the New Jersey Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC). The person who was knocked into the water was not injured, officials said.
50 minutes before the accident, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said that it received a call that a whale had been spotted in Barnegat Bay near the inlet. Staff from the center, the Coast Guard, New Jersey Marine Police, and the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Conservation officers responded to the area.
WATCH THE VIRAL VIDEO:
The video was widely shared among @Osint613, sharing it on X. The caption of the post reads, "A 20-foot Minke whale died after hitting a boat in shallow waters in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey. Wild video shows the whale slamming the boat, nearly capsizing it, and tossing a passenger overboard. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center says the whale may have been injured by the boat. The passenger is reportedly unharmed."
Rare Encounter Between Shark And Stingray
A rare encounter between a shark and a stingray has been witnessed by beachgoers along Florida's Gulf Coast recently. The entire incident was captured by the eyewitnesses and is now going viral on social media. The video shows the moment when the shark’s fin and tail appeared above the waves, while the large stingray’s fins could also be seen surfacing during the encounter.
