Environment

Whale Jumps On Yacht in Cape Town Video Footage Released

by Amy Judd | July 23, 2010 at 09:03 am

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A Video of the Whale Jumping on a Yacht Off the Coast of Cape Town Has Been Released

For skeptics who thought the photo of a whale breaching on to a couple's boat off the coast of South Africa was fake, now video footage has been released (see video below).

The southern right whale launched out of the water and landed on Ralph Mothes and Paloma Werner's boat last Sunday and miraculously no one was hurt although the yacht was damaged beyond repair.

It is not known exactly why the whale jumped on their boat, but southern right whales are known for having poor eyesight.

However, the couple are now being investigated on suspicion that they may have been harassing the whale just moments before it breached the water and landed on their boat.

Iol.co.za reports that Alan Boyd, Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism manager for marine protection and endangered species said:

We are aware of the statements that indicate that a person was deliberately sailing towards the whale and harassing it. It's good enough (reason) to investigate."

They also cite Richard Smith, the manager of the Waterfront Boat Company that offers whale-watching tours in the area, who said that some of his crew members told him that they had seen the yacht harassing the whale.

"They said the yacht kept coming to the whale. Speeding straight at it and annoying it," said Smith.

"You must know how to deal with whales. By law, you are required to stay 300m away from them and if they approach you, you must move away. It was indicated by everyone that (it having been harassed) was why it breached."

Whales have been known to breach if they feel they are threatened or harassed.

Ralph Mothes and Paloma Werner say they were not bothering the whale at all.