An Australian kid recently missed out on passing away barely while a maleficent whale hit his boat using its tale. The boy was quickly shoved unconscious. He was tossed from his vessel, but luckily was wearing a lifejacket, and didn't die. Luckily, he only was stricken with a damaged collar bone and a concussion. Article source - Miscreant humpback whale nearly kills Australian teen by Newsytype.com.
So-called gentle giant nearly pancakes Aussie teen
The incident took place Sunday, June 26, near Sydney, Australia, when the whale apparently flicked Hall's fishing vessel with its tail, states MSNBC. The whale leaped out of the water and hit its tale on the vessel while re-entering the water. The boy's mother saw this.
Drew Hall and his mother and father were fishing off the coast of New South Wales at Brooms Head, an oceanfront resort town several hundred miles northeast of Sydney. While fishing, the kid was "sent flying" by the whale. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that it was scary for everybody. He awoke on a boat ramp as paramedics administered care. Hall was treated for concussion and a broken collar bone. The incident wasn't enough to stop Hall. He's going to still go fishing along with his family at times.
Going north for winter
It is the migratory season for humpback whales, as Pacific humpbacks regularly travel along the coast of Australia while heading north for the summer. There have been more whale related incidents than just Drew Hall's. The Daily Telegraph reports that a 40-foot boat in Sydney Harbor was hit by a whale and sunk just two days before Hall's encounter. A dinghy was used by the vessel owner to get out. He was not able to float anymore with a huge hole in his boat. There were two whales seen right after. The Sydney Morning Herald states that several believe these whales were responsible.
Hazardous creatures
It is important to note that "gentle giants" for instance whales need protection. Still, they are dangerous to human beings most often. Even though every person survived, a whale sunk a sail boat in South Africa, which was shown in a viral video in 2010.
Whales are dangerous even if they have been in captivity. In 1971, the first Shamu mauled a SeaWorld staff member while an orca slaughtered SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau last year.
Whale observing aboard smaller vessels isn't advisable, as they can be easily capsized. In Herman Melville's "Moby Dick," it is all about a whale. An actual story of sperm whales sinking a ship was the inspiration. A sperm whale rammed a ship called Essex in 1820. It was off the coast of South The United States and sank.
Information from
MSNBC
msnbc.msn.com/id/43544562/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/
Sydney Morning Herald on Drew Hall
smh.com.au/environment/whale-watch/knocked-out-drew-vows-to-keep-having-a-whale-of-a-time-20110627-1gmo5.html
Sydney Morning Herald on Sydney Harbor capsizing
smh.com.au/nsw/man-missing-after-boat-hits-buoy-20110625-1gkky.html
The Daily Telegraph
dailytelegraph.com.au/news/boat-sinks-after-whale-collision-man-escapes-in-dinghy/story-e6freuy9-1226081337992
List of Orca attacks on Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orca_attacks_on_humans
Right whale Wiki
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_whale
For more on the whaling ship Essex, see "In the Heart of the Sea" by Nathaniel Philbrick.