Whale dies, passenger goes overboard after boat collision off Jersey Shore
LONG BEACH ISLAND, N.J. – A 20-foot minke whale died Saturday, Aug. 2, in Barnegat Bay after being struck by a boat, which nearly capsized and forced a passenger overboard, according to officials.
The whale was first spotted at the bay inlet at 2:45 p.m., according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC), which received a call from New Jersey State Police.
Rescue crews responded with the U.S. Coast Guard seeking a way to guide the whale out of the bay, MMSC reported on social media.
But before they could, the whale was struck by a vessel at 3:40 p.m. and was reported dead by officials hours later.
Video captured by a witness shows the whale swimming under a motorboat; the vessel tips to the side and a person can be seen falling into the water. Another person yells, "Cut the motor off!"
MMSC staff arrived on a NJ Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officers boat to “assess the whale, which was now resting on a sandbar in very shallow water outside of the channel,” officials said on Facebook.
“They were able to approach within 30 yards of the whale, but due to the tidal conditions they could not safely access the sandbar for further direct examination.”
The whale will be towed to a nearby state park for a necropsy on Monday, when appropriate equipment is available, officials said. Additionally, officials said, the tide cycle has to be proper for easier movement.
“The necropsy will follow, and will likely take several hours to complete,” the MMSC statement added.
No information has been released on the identity of the boaters or further investigation.