A whale that was captured in a viral video nearly capsizing a boat in Barnegat Bay has died, authorities confirmed, with a necropsy expected to be performed after the tide allows the marine mammal to be towed off a sand bar.
A video began circulating Saturday showing a group of boaters in the Double Creek Channel on Barnegat Bay encountering a whale in shallow water, eventually leading to the boat nearly capsizing and one passenger being thrown overboard in the water.
A vessel in Barnegat Bay encounters a whale near the Double Creek Channel. (Credit: Screenshot/Fisherman’s Headquarters/ Instagram)
The video was authenticated by TowBoatUS Barnegat Light, which responded to the scene. It has since been reposted on number of national boating social media profiles, leading to it going viral within several hours. The encounter occurred in Double Creek Channel, which runs from approximately the “42” buoy marker in the bay, past High Bar Harbor near the northern tip of Long Beach Island, and then to Barnegat Inlet. In this case, the scenario played out in what appears to be the western portion of the channel in water about 5-feet deep.
Saturday night, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center reported that it received a call from the NJ State Police Marine Unit reporting a whale observed in Barnegat Bay near the channel to the inlet at about 2:45 p.m. Saturday afternoon. MMSC stranding staff connected with the U.S. Coast Guard, NJ State Marine Police and Sea Tow as the Stranding Coordinator responded to the scene. At approximately 3:40 p.m. a boater in the area reported that a vessel had struck the whale, causing the vessel to nearly capsize and a passenger to go overboard.
The video shows a group of boaters seemingly stuck on a sandbar, while in reality the whale had apparently swan under the boat. The operator revs the engine, seemingly to dislodge himself from what he thought was a shoal, only to have the whale jut out from under the boat and collide with it while swimming away. This made the boat – what appears to be a 25-foot walkround-style hull, to nearly capsize to its starboard side, ejecting one passenger.
While the Stranding Coordinator was still en route, the commercial tower, who had remained on scene to observe the whale, reported that the animal was deceased. The Stranding Coordinator boarded a NJ Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offier’s vessel to assess the whale, which was now resting on a sandbar in very shallow water outside of the channel, the organization reported. The whale was identified as a Minke whale, approximately 20-feet in length.
“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 statement said. “MMSC has confirmed with officials at [Island Beach State Park] that the whale can be towed to the park for a necropsy. Due to the availability of heavy equipment and the upcoming tide cycle, the whale will be moved on Monday morning with the assistance of Sea Tow. A necropsy will follow, and will likely take several hours to complete.
A vessel in Barnegat Bay encounters a whale near the Double Creek Channel. (Credit: Screenshot/Fisherman’s Headquarters/ Instagram)
A vessel in Barnegat Bay encounters a whale near the Double Creek Channel. (Credit: Screenshot/Fisherman’s Headquarters/ Instagram)
The passenger appeared to be unharmed, ultimately standing up in shoulder-deep water. Onlookers from nearby boats shouted for the operator to stop the engine, which he eventually did.
Local and state police were unavailable for immediate comment. The vessel was presumably looked after by the nearby TowBoat crew. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center was also not available for immediate comment, and the condition of the whale is also unknown. TowBoatUS’s Barnegat Light base did issue its own statement urging boaters to be cautious in and around the area of the Double Creek Channel, posting that the whale has been encountered by multiple boaters over the past several days and seems to be sighted in the same area.
The MMSC said boaters should use caution in the area north of Double Creek Channel in Barnegat Bay and to keep a minimum of 150-feet away from the whale carcass for safety purposes. Boaters are asked to report any sightings to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center hotline 609-266-0538.
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