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Video: 2 humpback whales breach right next to N.H. fishermen
“Dude, dude, this isn’t good.”
Two fishermen had an unexpected close call with two humpback whales while fishing off the coast of New Hampshire on Tuesday, an encounter that was captured on video.
Two 60-foot humpback whales breached just 40 feet away from where Captain Dale Sprague and his first mate, Matt Hamilton, were fishing from Sprague’s boat, according to The Boston Globe.
“Two of them turned on their sides, just started this massive flapping of their big fin,” Sprague told the Globe. “I think whales personally love attention.”
The whales sprung out of the water, first 200 yards away from the boat, then much closer. One plunged back under the surface with a tremendous splash just a few dozen yards away, then headed toward the boat, video shows.
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“Holy [expletive]!” Sprague yelled in a video he took. “Dude, dude, this isn’t good.”
Speaking to the Globe, Sprague referred to an incident last July where a humpback whale breached onto a boat, throwing two boaters from the vessel.
“If that whale decides he’s going to come up and go on your boat, you’re going to dive out of the way,” Sprague told the Globe. “You’re no match for these whales.”
The Globe reported Hamilton suggested the fishermen head back to Dover, but Sprague insisted on keeping the fishing trip going.
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“It’s a really, really lucky thing to happen, to have that happen right next to us,” Sprague told the Globe. “It’s something you see at SeaWorld.”
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