Video: Whale dies, passenger thrown off boat in New Jersey collision

New Jersey: A minke whale died after a collision with a small boat off the New Jersey shore, in an incident that was partly captured on social media and shows the moment of impact as a person was thrown overboard.

The crash occurred on Saturday afternoon in Barnegat Bay. Video footage shows a 20-foot (6-metre) whale splashing violently near a motorboat after colliding with it. The boat rocked dangerously, nearly capsizing, while one person ended up in the water, treading beside the vessel.

Whale found dead hours later

The whale was later discovered dead on a sandbar in shallow waters. Due to low tides, marine responders were unable to approach the carcass immediately, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) said in a statement.

“At this point, we really don’t have much to go on,” said Jay Pagel, the centre’s stranding coordinator. “The side of the animal we were able to observe had no obvious marks, but our visibility was very limited.”

Signs whale may have been injured earlier

Pagel added there were unverified reports that the whale may have already been injured before the filmed collision. A second video posted online appeared to show the whale making contact with a pontoon boat shortly after the initial impact.

The whale will be towed to a state park on Monday morning, where scientists will conduct a necropsy to determine the exact cause of death.

The incident has renewed focus on boat traffic in areas where marine life is commonly spotted and raises concerns about whale safety along the US east coast.