There have been several recent encounters between boats and whales. Fortunately, neither whale nor humans appear to have been injured. The most serious took place off the Jersey Shore.

Two fishermen in a 20-foot boat were fishing approximately one mile off of Deal, Monmouth County when they had a close encounter with a whale. Jonathan Swingle, the boat’s captain, told ABC 6 News what happened: “So, we’re talking a 30 to 40-foot whale, gotta weigh more than 20 tons. 

“There was a whale that wasn’t breaching. It was actually feeding. You could see it drive up through the mullet – mouth full of fish. Slam it shut and go back down,” he said.

Swingle says the next time it drove up, it hit their boat.

“All of a sudden the boat is being shoved airborne. I got slammed into the gunnel as it was rolling up into my hip and thighs,” Swingle said.

Swingle and his fellow fisherman were thrown into the water. Fortunately, a nearby boat issued a Mayday call and came to the recuse. Swingel suffered from sore legs and hips but was in good spirits.

“The boat’s going to be recoverable, from what I can tell,” Swingle said. “What more can we ask for? It was a fun experience.”

The New Jersey State Police Marine Patrol responded to the distress call. They posted on Facebook: 

“Whale vs. Boat — Final Score: Whale 1 – Boat 0 … Charges against the whale are pending its apprehension.”

Fisherman speaks after boat capsized by whale at the Jersey Shore

Thanks to Irwin Bryan for contributing to this post.