Video shows humpback whales' close call with fishermen off New Hampshire: "Start the boat!"
A pair of humpback whales leaping out of the water gave two fishermen a scare off the coast of New Hampshire.
Dale Sprague, captain of the "Reel Joy" and his first mate Matt Hamilton were seven miles past the Isles of Shoals near Rye when they spotted the whales and started recording. The video shows the two whales, estimated to be as long as 60 feet, breaching the surface.
"They're going for a deep dive right there," one of the fishermen can be heard saying on video.
"Dude, this isn't good"
One of the whales even appeared to be coming right at them.
"Dude, this isn't good," Sprague said in the video. "Start the boat!"
Last summer in a similar incident that was also captured on video, a humpback whale in the same area capsized a boat, sending two men flying into the ocean. Luckily, neither the fishermen or the whale appeared to be hurt.
Lindsey Jones with the New England Aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life studies humpbacks. She says this is normal behavior for the whales.
"They often breach here in the Gulf of Maine, whether or not boats are around," Jones said. "It's always special to see though, not everyone is lucky enough to see a breaching humpback whale."
Humpbacks are a common sight for whale watchers in the waters off New Hampshire, as they try to eat as much as possible in the Gulf of Maine before heading south for the winter to mate or give birth.
Why do humpback whales leap out of the water?
Jones said there are a few theories as to why they leap out of the water: They may be trying to communicate with each other, remove parasites from their skin, attract potential mates or they're just playing around.
"Anyone on the water should always be vigilant in looking out for whales and if they see them, maintain as much space as possible for both the safety of the whales and the boaters," Jones said.
