Whale Crashed Boat
Talk about a close call. A whale leapt out of the water and crash-landed on the deck of a boat off the coast of South Africa July 21, 2010. Sailing near Robben Island off the coast of Cape Town, Paloma Werner, 50, of the Cape Town Sailing Academy, and her partner Ralph Mothes watched the whale move toward their 10-meter vessel and breached 20 meters away. The whale disappeared under the water, before reappearing in the air. "Then I just saw this huge whale crash onto our yacht," Werner said. Fortunately, no one was injured, though the boat suffered damage.
Paloma Werner
Whale Crashed Boat
Talk about a close call. A whale leapt out of the water and crash-landed on the deck of a boat off the coast of South Africa July 21, 2010. Sailing near Robben Island off the coast of Cape Town, Paloma Werner, 50, of the Cape Town Sailing Academy, and her partner Ralph Mothes watched the whale move toward their 10-meter vessel and breached 20 meters away. The whale disappeared under the water, before reappearing in the air. "Then I just saw this huge whale crash onto our yacht," Werner said. Fortunately, no one was injured, though the boat suffered damage.Paloma WernerWhale Crashed Boat
Paloma Werner believes that the whale did not know the boat was there because the engine was off. "The whale was just enjoying himself, breaching," she said. "It was just a freak accident." The whale left behind a few pieces of blubber but no blood. "It might have a few scratches and a headache," Werner said.Paloma WernerWhale Crashed Boat
Werner said Mothes ducked behind the steering wheel as the whale cames toward them. While the masts need replacing, Werner said the steel structure of the boat was undamaged. "Miraculously nothing happened to us," she said.Paloma WernerWhale Crashed Boat
A tourist on a boat nearby caught the moment when the whale landed on the boat. This photo shows the damage done by the 40-ton whale.Paloma WernerWhale Crashed Boat
The Southern Right Whale remained largely unharmed from crashing on the deck. The whale left behind a few pieces of blubber but no blood. The whales are a common sight in Cape Town waters during the breeding season from June to November.Paloma Werner
