| A whale caught a couple of whale watching in South | | | | |
| Africa when he suddenly jumped out of the sea, the | | | | "We had been taking some pictures and had just |
| boat, the destruction of the mast, then back into the | | | | decided to head back when a Southern Right whale, |
| sea! You can see stunning images of the moment this | | | | between 11 – 14 m long, breached about 100 meters |
| is done, these photos were taken by a tourist from | | | | away from us. It then suddenly breached about 10 |
| Botswana. | | | | meters from us and then – right on us! We were |
| "We have seen about 100 meters and I thought that | | | | sailing so had no engine and we could not even take |
| was the end," said Werner Paloma, who was in the | | | | any action." |
| boat with his friend, Ralph Mothes. Then, suddenly, he | | | | Richard Smith, manager of the Waterfront Boat |
| was just beside us. " | | | | Company (which offers whale watching trips), doesn't |
| "We were lucky to get through it, because the weight | | | | agree. His crew members, while returning to the |
| of the thing was huge," said Werner. | | | | harbour (from a whale watching trip, no doubt), believe |
| It was a Southern Right Whale, an endangered | | | | that they saw something different: |
| species that are known to have vision problems. Is this | | | | "They said the yacht kept coming to the whale. |
| the reason why the whale jumped ship? No one | | | | Speeding straight at it and annoying it." |
| knows why whales do consider other theories is that | | | | Hmmm. |
| the whale attacked the ship on its return chicken goal | | | | Although both stories are plausible, a middle aged |
| early in the sea | | | | couple deliberately trying to wreck their expensive |
| Well, and Werner Mothes, go also business partners, | | | | boat seems a bit less likely to me. Considering the |
| the first theory: | | | | increasing amount of whale watching (and other) |
| "It was fun," said Werner. "You have a very bad, | | | | excursions that occur annually around the Western |
| obviously, if it is to violate the visibility very poor. The | | | | Cape, it makes statistical – and logical – sense |
| whale has no intention to attack us." | | | | that a freak incident is bound to happen. (Similarly, as |
| The couple uses the engine of the boat back to shore | | | | shark cage dives increase, so do the odds of a Great |
| . | | | | White popping his nose into the cage. |