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Whales are pretty low on the list of animals you need to worry about running into in the open ocean, but a couple of guys who were tossed from their capsized boat in a viral video documenting their harrowing encounter with one of the animals would probably beg to differ.
Over the past few years, hundreds of vessels in the vicinity of the Strait of Gibraltar have been targeted by a group of orcas that have seemingly started attacking boats for fun, but those apex predators are a very notable anomaly when it comes to how whales typically interact with humans.
With that said, there’s always a chance things can go south when you’re sharing the water with animals that weigh tens of thousands of pounds and can jump dozens of feet above the surface while breaching—a reality that was highlighted by what recently unfolded in the waters off the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
On Monday, a humpback whale was spotted making its way down the Piscataqua River between the border of New Hampshire and Maine.
It’s unclear if it’s the same one in the video below, but it appears a member of the same species was responsible for the wild incident that unfolded when 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 after being struck by the whale.
Details are currently pretty scarce, but CBS Boston reports the two men who ended up in Portsmouth Harbor as a result of the very close encounter escaped without being harmed. However, it definitely does not appear the same can be said for the boat they were board at the time.