Earlier this month a humpback whale bumped into a boat full of whale watchers off Maui, before rejoining its calf and swimming off.
The event was videotaped from above and below the surface, via pole cam, and finally some of the underwater footage has become available, courtesy of Ultimate Whale Watch.
Its 25-foot inflatable boat was bumped, presumably inadvertently, by the mother whale as the vessel was drifting with its engine turned off. The calf swam toward the bow of the boat before the incident. Also, a male "escort" whale was nearby, perhaps agitating and confusing the mom.
The boat was said to be at a safe distance when the whale suddenly turned around and swam toward the boat. Passengers were told to get their cameras ready and apparently they captured some vivid footage.
In the accompanying video clip, via a passenger named Collette, the mother whale’s eye is visible just before she bumps the boat.
Shortly afterward, the mother and calf can be seen swimming away. The whale seemed to be OK after this unusual incident.
Ultimate Whale Watch has been criticized by some for turning off its engines, making it difficult for whales to know the boat is nearby, and for allowing passengers to lean over and peer into the water with masks.
Lee James, the company's owner, said Thursday via email:
"We are getting whales hanging around within a few feet and sometimes rubbing the boat almost daily. I could not find any research or study showing that they are getting more comfortable with vessels, [but] it has been an observation that over the past two migrations that they have become less apprehensive and more interactive with our vessels."
–Images are video screen grabs
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