When a jumping whale lands on a boat: Watch what happens next

What happens when a jumping whale whomps a sailing vessel? A video going viral on social media shows the heart-stopping seconds when such a thing happens.

The incident happened off the coast of Massachusetts this weekend. A video shared on Twitter by AP, shows a humpback whale breaching and landing on the bow of a small 19-foot boat. The giant came out of nowhere and caught the people on the boat by surprise.

It happened when there were other boats around. The head of the whale landed on the front of the boat. The rear of the vessel tipped dangerously upwards for a second. The humpback then slid back into the waters.


Nobody was injured, and there were no major damages to the boat. On Twitter, it was clear where most of the sympathies lay.

In May, there was another video which showed a large humpback breaching and landing flat on a boat off Ahome in the Gulf of California. Four people were reportedly injured in that incident.

Humpback whales are known for their acrobatic jumps in which they launch clear off the water and land back splashing the water with their fins or tails. They can grow up to 62 feet long and weigh up to 53 tons. In Plymouth, where the first-mentioned incident happened, boaters are urged to stay away from the humpbacks.