[oden1viking]

Whale Attack Near Leadbetter Beach

A bizarre story from just off our coast.

A whale attacked a boat and sent two people to a local hospital. It happened late Wednesday afternoon just a half mile from Leadbetter Beach.

The whale, possibly a grey whale, at least 30 feet long attacked the boat, not once, but three times.

The whale destroyed the upper deck of a brand new Bayliner named "Blind Girl." The boat was totaled.

The owner says when the whale attacked a second time, it knocked him out of his chair. The whale pinned the boat's passengers to the side of the Bayliner.

One person was rushed to the hospital with severe cuts and other injuries. The owner suffered minor injuries, and another passenger received cuts and 5 broken ribs.

One of the passengers says they were talking about whale watching moments before the whale hit them.

The first boat to come to the rescue was a whale watching boat.

 

[first_watch]

Did the whale 'attack' or was it a reaction after the whale was hit?

Like most events, I'm seeing conflicting accounts. It'll probably be a few days for the story to settle out, but the point is clear.... it's migration time and be careful out there... they represent a pretty big obstacle if hit... or if hitting you...

Cheers, Bill

â??If your not part of the solution... you're part of the problem"

 

[Jenna J]

Wow. That's pretty gnarly. Big whales freak me out. I'll stick to the bino's and watch from a distance.

I wonder if those guys were up close watching or if the whale blind-sided them out of nowhere? Pretty scary either way.

Jeremy
24' Radon - 'Jenna J'

 

[bigeye2k]

It is true grey whales used to attack whaling ships off the Ca coast back in the day. They are very smart animals and it was most likly on purpose. Don't you have to stay a certian distance from them anyways.

 

[Badger]

Man - how do you defend? Were they sitting, Whale watching, Fishing? My thoughts would be to hit the throttle but who knows what really happened. Glad nobody died this time.

Was there a calf around?

 

[scotth]

I think the whalers used to call gray whales "devil fish" because they fought back pretty ferociously (seems fair to me)

but I have been around them lots and seen nothing but calm, although I keep my distance both because I don't want to hassle them and just in case...

I will be interested to hear more details on this, but more than 1 time makes it sound purposeful by the whale

 

[fishrtrembling]

makes that night crossing just a little more scary. I would not want to hit a whale at 25 knots sitting up front on auto pilot, not a good thing in a center console.

(fishhawk) jim

 

[Raz-N-Kane27]

>Wow. That's pretty gnarly. Big whales freak me out. I'll
>stick to the bino's and watch from a distance.
>
>I wonder if those guys were up close watching or if the whale
>blind-sided them out of nowhere? Pretty scary either way.
>
>Jeremy
>24' Radon - 'Jenna J'

I am with you Jeremy! Anything that weight`s 30ton and is 30 to 40 ft long, And I weight 9000lbs,,Well you do the math,,who will win that battle!!NOT ME!! I see whales and watch very closely witch way they are going,And keep my distance! Remember that post were that guy was all happy with watching the whales Breach by his boat, NOT ME!!

Raz-N-Kane
SeaRay 27
Channel 69& Scan

 

[Perspective]

I saw several reports as told by the owner of the boat and some were twisted by the reporting news channels to seem more shocking than what happened. Report was the 26' Bayliner was crusing about at 8 knots minding their own business just before dark watching a really nice sunset when a whale breaches right infront of the boat so close that they ram the whale.(this is #1) Then the whale falls onto the boats bow allmost sinking it and breaking off the boats top. Whatever that is . (this is #2) Scared, the whale again breaches landing on the boats cockpit with its tail hitting passengers and breaking fiberglass. (#3) sorta like that

 

[MC]

Whales do breach. Probably wrong place wrong time.

 

[Captain Hook]

Isn't this actually a mammal report? JOHN!!!!!!!

 

[GettinUglysSon]

>Isn't this actually a mammal report? JOHN!!!!!!!

from Seinfeld:

GEORGE: "So i started to walk into the water. i won't lie to you boys, i was terrified. but i pressed on. and as i made my way past the breakers, a strange calm came over me. i don't know if it was devine intervention, or the kingship of all living things. but i tell you jerry, at that moment, i was a marine biologist.

ELAINE: (entering the diner) "george, i've just been reading this thing in the paper, it's unbelieveable."

GEORGE: "i know, i was just telling the story."

KRAMER: "well come on george, finish the story."

GEORGE: "the sea was angry that day my friends; like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli. i got about 50 feet out, when suddenly, the great beast appeared before me. i tell you he was 10 stories high if he was a foot. as if sensing my presence he let out a great bellow. i said, easy big fella. and then, as i watched him struggling i realized that something was obstructing his breathing. and from where i was standing i could see directly into the eye of the great fish."

JERRY: "mammal."

GEORGE: "whatever."

KRAMER: "what did you do next?"

GEORGE: "and then, from out of nowhere, a HUGE tidal wave lifted me, tossed me like a cork, and i found myself right on top of him, face to face with the blow-hole. i could barely see from the waves crashing down upon me. but i knew something was there. so i reached my hand in, felt around, and pulled out the obstruction. (reaches into his pocket and pulls out a golf ball.)"

KRAMER: "well is that a titleist?"

GEORGE: shakes his head affirmatively.

KRAMER: "a hole-in one."

mammal report, fish report? who really cares, this is the private boater's general topic. and i'd say this is a general topic involving a private boat.

Gettin' Ugly
Glendon

 

[aloharob]

I had not seen this post - that's one of my alltime favorite seinfeld scenes.

 

[GettinUglysSon]

>I had not seen this post - that's one of my alltime favorite
>seinfeld scenes.

i couldn't agree more. when george says, "the sea was angry that day" i just lose it every time. HILARIOUS!!!!! i've got that episode on my computer and from time to time i pull it up and just play that end of the episode. definitely a CLASSIC.

Gettin' Ugly
Glendon

 

[JGWolf]

I come up on one while cruising at about 30 knots.

We saw lots of bubbles but thought it might be dolphin then the whale dove out of the way at the last minute.

Clean underwear were needed at the launch ramp!