Breaching Whale Hits Boat Off Seaside Park

SEASIDE PARK, NJ — A breaching whale crashed down on a boat off Seaside Park on Monday, throwing the boat's occupants into the water but causing no injuries to either the humans or the whale, police said.

The incident happened off D Street in Seaside Park shortly before noon, according to an administrator of the Friends of Seaside Park Facebook page, who witnessed it.

The boat, named Nothing But Net, is a smaller-model Sea Hunt fishing boat. The two men apparently were fishing at the time, witnesses said.

The men were thrown from the boat, but were able to get back on board before the boat beached. It was later towed to a marina, Seaside Park police said.

"The whale kept swimming and breaching," the Friends of Seaside Park post said.

"We have been in communication with Marine Mammal Stranding Center who are aware of the incident," Seaside Park police said. "We would like to thank all of our beachgoers for their assistance in securing the boat and retrieving some of the personal items that fell overboard."

Humpback whales have become a more common sight in the last several years along the Jersey Shore, breaching and feeding on bunker, also known as menhaden, a prime baitfish along the Atlantic coast.

A humpback whale was seen last week off Manasquan feeding on bunker in video captured by a drone camera.

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