Video footage circulating on social media shows a breaching humpback whale body slam a fishing boat in Portsmouth, NH, capsizing the vessel and knocking fishermen flying on Tuesday. Humpback whales can weigh up to 40 tons, or 80,000 lbs, according to the US National Wildlife Federation. The spectacle was caught by teenage boys on a nearby boat. There were two fishermen onboard who ended up in the drink after the massive whale capsized their boat. Both are reportedly unharmed and made it to safety. According to the Qualified Captain on Instagram, the account that shared the video, there have been “a lot of whales up in Portsmouth,” including “a couple inside the Piscataqua river mouth.”“Watch out for the big pogie schools. Whales can’t see through them, and it can lead to this,” Qualified Captain wrote in the caption. “These guys were simply fishing when this happened. Everyone was ok.” .Humpback whales, which live as long as 90 years, are powerful creatures that can swim further than any other swimming mammal — up to 8,047 km migrating between breeding and feeding grounds, per Oceana. Humpback whales breach, which is the act of “propelling themselves out of the water and splashing back in,” every seven to 15 minutes, according to Canadian conservation group Prince of Whales. They breach for several reasons, including navigating their surroundings, to communicate and be social with one another, attracting mates, to soothe pesky skin conditions caused by parasites — and as a natural instinct of playfulness.
