Up Close and Personal

Whale watching is pretty popular stuff off the coast of South Africa. In some coastal towns, criers are employed spreading the news of whale sightings so boaters can find them. Whale watching can provide one of the most fascinating nature encounters available, and a close encounter with one of these gentle giants is an unforgettable experience. But, make sure your boat insurance is paid up before you go looking for them.

One South African couple recently got a bit of a closer look at a 40 ton whale than they had bargained for. The couple, sailing the 33 foot steel sailboat the Intrepid first spotted the whale about 100 meters in the distance. When the whale dove, they assumed they had seen the last of it, but it resurfaced close to the boat, slapping its tail in a form of communication common amongst large whales.

Had it ended there, it would no doubt have been the boating experience of a lifetime. Unfortunately, it didn’t. We’re sure the whale probably intended no malice, but whales, like any other wild animal, can be unpredictable, especially during mating season.

Whales are supposed to be pretty intelligent, so we’ll assume the whale didn’t mistake the Intrepid for a pretty, fashionable girl whale. We’ll never know what the whale was thinking. We do know what it did, though.

Leaping almost completely out of the water (a pretty damned impressive feat at 40 tons in and of itself), the whale, whom the boaters describe as being “as long as our boat,” flopped itself onto the deck, tearing the mast down completely and making a general mess of things before managing to wiggle its way back into the water.

Luckily, no one was seriously hurt during the encounter. Had the boat been made out of fiberglass or wood, it probably would be at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean right now. Fortunately, the steel hull withstood the shock. The couple, both experienced boaters, were able to use the sailboat’s engine to get back to shore. The two boaters were given the scare of their lives, but managed to walk away from it unhurt.

The most remarkable thing about the whole encounter? Someone managed to get pictures of it. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. The boat insurance agent adjuster will have no trouble at all verifying exactly how that boat was damaged.

Photo via mikebaird

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