Well, At Least It Wasn't A Hammerhead

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Humpback whale collides with sailboat off Redondo Beach

October 26, 2015 by Pete Thomas






Humpback whale fluke within touching distance in this video screen grab.

Four people aboard a 35-foot sailboat received the thrill of a lifetime Saturday off Redondo Beach, California, when a humpback whale surfaced suddenly only a few feet from their boat, and struck the vessel before diving.

The accompanying video clip, although it lasts only 11 seconds, captures the remarkable closeness of the encounter, involving a large cetacean that might have been as surprised as the boaters.
“Oh my god!” one of them exclaims, as the whale passes beneath the boat.


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The clip was posted to the Salacious Travels Facebook page by Danielle Villarreal, who wrote:

“Even though we’re back in the States our adventures continue. Since we’ve been back we’ve been staying with my mom and stepdad in Redondo Beach. Today we took the boat out and a humpback whale collided with us.”

Villarreal later returned a message confirming that the whale collided with the boat just as her boyfriend, John Paul Hayes, was reaching into the cooler. “My mom and I thought we were going to go flying into the water,” Villarreal said. “My stepdad tried to put the boat into reverse when it breached, but the whale was faster.”

The clip was viewed by the American Cetacean Society’s Los Angeles chapter, which posted its reaction on Facebook: “From this video clip it is difficult to ascertain what led up to the encounter, but this is definitely the kind of situation boaters should work hard to avoid.

“It is possible that the silent sailboat surprised the whale. A situation like this can easily lead to injuries to both humans and animals.”


Read more at

http://www.grindtv.com/wildlife/humpback-whale-collides-with-sailboat-off-redondo-beach/#UZGcSvRlCsUYBPqJ.99