A humpback whale collided with a 34-foot fishing boat near Moriches Inlet off Long Island, damaging the vessel but leaving everyone aboard unharmed.
Steven Heid was fishing with his father-in-law Steve Bashian and nephew Oliver Samter west of Fire Island when the whale surfaced and struck the boat.
The group had stopped the engine to avoid disturbing the animal and was trying to keep distance from an area where bunker fish were feeding.
Crew Stopped Engine Before Impact
Heid said he told his nephew to start recording as the whale approached the vessel.
"This whale is coming toward us," Heid said, according to CBS News.
He described himself as a conservationist who is always vigilant and careful around marine wildlife.
"You have to stay away from the bunker pods because the whales are feeding," Heid said.
Bashian said the size and force of the impact could have produced a worse outcome with a different vessel.
"If it wasn't a large boat, I think we would have been in the ocean," Bashian said.
Samter, who captured the encounter on video, said he feared the boat could sink after the strike.
"I thought it might have been damaged. Maybe we were going to go down," Samter said.
Heid described the collision as a sudden event that left the boat damaged but intact.
"It was like a freight train hit the boat," he said.
Experts Urge Space for Whales
Marine experts from the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said boaters must give whales space.
Robert DiGiovanni, the organization's executive director, said the group appeared to follow safety guidance by stopping the boat.
"One of the things that is really exciting is that we're seeing a lot more wildlife in our waters, but by seeing more animals here, it comes with a lot more responsibility," DiGiovanni said.
DiGiovanni said the whale and passengers avoided serious harm after the encounter.
"Thank God the whale swam off, and everything was fine," Heid said.
Heid said the video drew millions of views after it was shared online.
"We got 11 million views in 24 hours," he said.
Heid and Bashian said they have fished off the South Shore for decades and remain focused on protecting wildlife.
"I'm very careful out there. Believe it or not, I felt really bad for the whale," Heid said.
Bashian said the group kept the engine off while observing the animals nearby.
"You have to be respectful. So the engine was off, the baitfish were around us, the wildlife was around us," Bashian said.
He also said the boat's strength helped prevent a more severe accident.
"If it wasn't such a strong boat, I think we would've gone over," Bashian said.
Heid recalled his reaction immediately after the collision and his concern about repair costs.
"The first reaction was, 'Oh my God. This was absolutely insane and crazy.'
Second reaction was, 'Is my insurance company gonna cover this?'" Heid said.
News 12 reported Heid said the boaters intentionally avoided the whale and stopped the engine as the animal approached.
"We purposely wanted to stay away from it. You got to be careful, especially around bunker pods.
These whales are feeding," Heid said.
Samter said the moment happened quickly and was difficult to process.
"I was like, 'Holy cow, what just happened?'" Samter said.
He said both the boat and whale survived the encounter.
"I thought we might be going down, but the boat was OK, the whale was OK. It was just crazy," Samter said.
DiGiovanni said responsible boating is important as whale sightings increase in New York waters.
"You don't want the animal, you don't want any of these individuals hurt, so let's prepare and try to give them their space," DiGiovanni said.
New York's Whale Awareness Act requires boaters to stay at least 300 feet away from whales, according to marine conservation officials.
Humpback whales in New York waters can grow 40 to 50 feet long and weigh up to 40 tons.
