Fisherman Chucked In The Sea After Minke Whale Bashes Boat

A fisherman out whale watching got sent flying from his boat after a minke whale barged into the side of it. Well, at least he got some up-close whale watching done, eh?

Cris Lane, from Cork, was out at sea off Courtmacsherry, fishing and doing a bit of whale watching when the minke headed for the boat and whacked right into the side of it.

Poor Cris ended up being chucked into the water - but was thankfully wearing a life jacket, so is no worse for wear after the experience, saying the main injury he sustained was a 'bruised ego'.

However, his phone didn't fare so well and was completely ruined after its dip in the ocean.

Cris, who was out with his pal Dave McCann, said they spotted a lot of activity in the water before the whale made a bee-line for the boat.

Speaking to Cork Beo he said: "There were dolphins, fin whales and minke all around us, a group of whales about 300 yards away from us.

"Next thing I knew, one of the whales just slammed into the side of the boat. The other guy went flying onto the deck and I went flying off the back of the boat into the water.

"Dave got up and he didn't know where I was, he checked the cabin because he thought I might be in there, it took him a moment to realise I was in the water trying to get back on."

Wikimedia Commons

Cris said the incident should serve as a reminder the importance of wearing a life jacket while out on the water.

He added: "You have to wear a jacket, and you should have a means of getting back in the boat too."

Cris is not the only whale watcher to get more than he bargained for in recent weeks.

John Goodridge was on a whale watching trip in Sydney Harbour, Australia, when he managed to accidentally capture a humpback whale showing off its 10ft penis.

He said: "It certainly isn't every day that you get to see something like that. It is incredibly rare to see and there is not really that many photographs out there showing a humpback whale's penis.

"In fact, I've never even seen a photo of one showing it off during a breach. Usually it will remain inside their genital split which protects it from injury as they swim.

"I've photographed thousands of whales and have never captured anything like this before, so it was certainly exciting." Well, the whale is clearly excited.

Topics: Ireland, Animals

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19