A family boating near Juneau on Saturday collided with a humpback whale, injuring some of those on board, according to a report from NOAA Fisheries.
The boat was on the west side of Coghlan Island just outside of Auke Bay when it crashed into the whale, according to the agency. Four people were onboard at the time, said Travis Mead, assistant chief of Capital City Fire/Rescue, which responded to the crash. The whale unexpectedly surfaced in front of the boat, Mead said.
“The whale surfaced in front of the operator and he tried to avoid it,” Mead said.
The boat’s operator was able to steer the boat back to Auke Bay on its own power and someone onboard called the emergency line for help, alerting the fire department, Mead said. The injured were then taken by ambulance to the hospital, he said.