A high-speed passenger boat collided with what was presumed to have been a whale Tuesday off Nagasaki, Japan, leaving several passengers bruised and shaken.
The 163-ton Venus was carrying 108 passengers and crew and traveling at 40 mph when the strike occurred, according to the Japan Times.
The impact cracked the vessel's bow, but Venus arrived safely to port in Izuhara two hours behind schedule. Seven passengers suffered minor injuries. The fate of the whale is not known, but a strike of this type likely would result in serious injury, if not death.
Kyushu Yusen, the service provider for Venus, said it will investigate the incident while Venus undergoes repairs.
–Generic whale image by ©Pete Thomas
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