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Whale lands on yacht near Robben Island
last update: Jul 26, 2010 01:51 PM
From various articles: A Southern Right whale, longer than 11 meters, landed on a yacht near Robben Island, just north of Cape Town in south Africa. The yacht's mast got destroyed, and the whale slipped back into the ocean, apparently unharmed.
Prior to the incident, Paloma Werner, Cape Town Sailing Academy Administrator and sailing instructor Ralph Mothes had been watching the whale flip its flukes back and forth for about half an hour. They then thought it was diving beneath the boat and but were surprised to see it suddenly breach and come crashing aboard their yacht.
Werner was reported to saying "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."
Werner and Mothes believe the whale escaped without much injury. The yacht fared far worse.
Read more:
Examiner, 23rd July 2010 (incl. photos)
CBS News, 22nd July 2010 (incl. video)
Examiner, 24th July 2010 (incl. video)
Examiner, 24th July 2010 (different article / incl. video)
