An ocean wildlife photographer in Australia has shared the moment a speeding boat nearly smashed into a pair of humpback whales.
Robert Sarginson had been filming a mother and calf swimming on Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia in August. The two whales “were surfacing regularly to breathe and had even been breaching shortly beforehand,” he says when sharing the video on Instagram.
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Then, a boat shoots straight towards the whales at breakneck speed, almost colliding with them. The mother, who is very close to the surface, lifts her tail up, perhaps in an attempt to dive out of the way. Sarginson suggests she might also be trying to defend herself.
“This boat approached far too quickly and almost hit them,” he says. “You can see the mother throw her tail toward the boat in what appears to be a defensive response.”
Sarginson was shocked to see this near miss and shared the video as a reminder of the importance of watching your speed when driving boats, particularly during calving season. “It’s important to be careful out there and watch your speed for both the welfare of these animals and your own safety,” he says.
“This was horrible to watch,” writes one viewer in the comments, while another adds, “Oh my goodness. I was holding my breath.”
Video and image credit: Robert Sarginson
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