Well, here’s a new one. While it’s no secret that whales catch a prop and on occasion meet their demise when colliding with vessels, we’ve never heard of one being pinned between a small cuddy-cabin cruiser and the mud in a shallow New Jersey backwater.
This footage, captured by Kim Mancini and posted by @fishermansheadquarters and @lbisource seems to show that precise and extremely unfortunate scenario playing out.
Withholding any judgment, it’s hard to imagine how you might react were you to find yourself in this skipper’s shoes, especially seeing that the incident occurred in what seems to be chest-deep water (judging by the passenger seen standing after being ejected amidst the chaos).
While it seems the boaters came out of the exchange unscathed, the whale probably wasn’t so lucky, based upon the way the outboard was rattling as it tried to free itself and the way it swims off. Here’s hoping the creature heals up and stays well away from boats and props going forward.
This isn’t the sort of emergency any of us expects to happen, nor is it something anyone is prepared to address, and although it’s usually the seas, the weather, and more often than not our fellow boaters we have to watch out for, this goes to show that no amount of vigilance is too much out on the water.
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