A breaching whale landed on a yacht near Robben Island, just north of Cape Town in south Africa. The southern right whale was longer than the 10 meter yacht that it landed on. Its estimated length is between 11 and 14 meters. After crashing into the center of the yacht and destroying the mast, the whale slipped back into the ocean.
Cape Town Sailing Academy Administrator Paloma Werner and sailing instructor, Ralph Mothes had been watching the whale flip its flukes back and forth for about half an hour. They thought it was diving beneath the boat and were surprised to see it suddenly breach and come crashing aboard.
MSNBC reports that Werner said,"It reached about 100 to 200 meters from us, then it disappeared under water and reappeared about 10 to 20 meters from the boat, but we didn't think we were on a collision course. My boyfriend told me to go to the other side of the boat," she said, explaining that they thought it would dive under their vessel. All I heard him say was 'Oh sh*&,' and I saw the whale come out of the water and crash against the mast of the boat. I ducked behind the coach house and my boyfriend ducked behind the steering wheel and we saw the mast crashing toward us and the whale slip back into the water," she said."
Werner and Mothes believe the whale escaped without much injury. The yacht fared far worse. Photos in the gallery attest to the power of a 40-ton mammal in freefall. The Intrepid's mast and rigging are down. The Intrepid is a training boat constructed of steel. Its structure remains intact.
Big Blue Blog says, "Meredith Thornton, scientist and manager of the Cape Town Mammal Research Institute at the University of Pretoria, said: "Whales don't see much by way of their eyes but by sound in the water." Between the whale's poor eyesight and low visibility in the water, Thornton said the whale, which she believed to be young, probably did not know the boat was in its way."
Sailors aboard the Intrepid have a tale about "the one that got away." A 40-ton southern right whale crashed down onto their yacht. The couple have decided they're lucky to be alive. The yacht lost mast and rigging, but its steel structure will sail again. MSNBC has a quick video of the flight of the whale.
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