A day after a humpback whale breached and landed on a small boat off Plymouth, state environmental officials are urging boaters, kayakers and paddle boarders to “use extreme caution” in the area.
Three juvenile humpback whales have been on a feeding frenzy off Plymouth in recent weeks, as they follow schools of fish to the popular boating and recreation destination.
The whales near boats in Plymouth has led to some close encounters with humans, including Sunday’s viral breach onto a 19-foot boat.
“The Massachusetts Environmental Police and the Department of Fish and Games’ Division of Marine Fisheries are advising all mariners operating vessels or personal watercrafts, such as kayaks and paddle boards, to use extreme caution near Plymouth,” Massachusetts Environmental Police wrote on Monday.
“These young whales are engaged in physically active feeding behavior that is very unpredictable, while feeding in a shallow area on menhaden (or ‘pogies’), a rich and highly abundant schooling forage fish that also attracts striped bass,” police added. “This creates a safety hazard for both whales and humans.”
There were no reported injuries after the humpback whale landed on the boat. Also, there was no major damage to the vessel.
A whale colliding with a boat or personal watercraft can cause damage to the vessel, physical injury to the whale, and potential serious injury or death to the humans.
“The shallow water and presence of encroaching vessels, along with the young age of the animals, may increase the unpredictability of their behavior,” police said.
It’s illegal to harass marine mammals under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. Harassment includes any act of pursuit, torment or annoyance that can injure or disrupt the feeding behavior of the animal.
The National Marine Fisheries Service recommends that boaters stay at least 100 feet away from whales and take a precautionary approach, given the whales’ unpredictable behavior and the potential safety hazards. Boaters should stay clear of light green bubble patches from humpback whales. These are subsurface bubbles before whales lunge to feed at the surface.
