Whale leaps from water, crushes yacht mast

[depakid]

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A South African sailor says her trip off the country's picturesque south-eastern coast was wrecked by an unexpected whack from a whale.

Paloma Werner said the southern right whale breached just metres from their boat off the coast of the seaside town of Hermanus on Sunday. It slammed into the yacht, snapping the mast in two.

A local newspaper showed a photo, captured by a passenger on a nearby boat of a massive black whale towering over the yacht.

Ms Werner, 50, said neither she nor her companion, Ralph Mothes, were hurt, and she saw the whale swimming around minutes after the collision. She said she felt lucky that the mast took the brunt of the blow.

Mr Mothes, 59, said the whale came at the boat very quickly. "It really was quite incredible but very scary," he told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper. "We'd spotted it about 100 metres away and thought that was the end of it. Then suddenly it was right up beside us."

The seas around Cape Town are teeming with whales and great white sharks during the winter months, which fall in the middle of the year.

More: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/whale-watch/whale-leaps-from-water-crushes-yacht-mast-20100722-10ll5.html

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. I've heard of that happening. It's lucky thing no one was hurt, but I bet

that poor whale has a heck of a concussion. :(

[patrice]

2. not road rage, but sea rage?

[Skink]

3. Pirates, now whales.

[Ready4Change]

5. Or, dare we say it, Pirate-Whales?

Can Ninja-Whales be far behind?

We're dooooomed!

[Skink]

7. Ninja whales are the ultimate.

[guardian]

4. An obvious sign of global warming.

The whale must have been leaping out of the water to escape the warm water.

[stuntcat]

6. oh?

Really? hmm interesting.. Tell me more about why this story is important to your viewpoint.