A humpback whale was spotted breaching in Boston Harbor on Monday morning between Deer Island and Long Island.
Joe Fabiano and Paula Brogna captured video of the whale, which they shared with NBC10 Boston.
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The first video shows the whale breaching and splashing down in the harbor not far from a couple of boats. The second showed a similar scene, but from closer proximity.
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Fabiano and Brogna set out early Monday morning for a day of fishing, but the catch of the day was capturing the wild moment on camera.
"We started throwing our lines out and next thing you know we heard a big splash," said Fabiano.
It happened in the waters close to Winthrop, where the couple saw the whale breach three times, just about 70 feet from their boat.
"I was like, 'Oh my God,'" said Brogna.
The sighting comes about a week after a humpback whale was caught on camera breaching the water and landing on top of a boat off the cost of Plymouth. The 19-foot vessel sustained light damage to its bow, and the whale was not seriously injured.
That's just one of several close encounters with whales off the Massachusetts coast in recent weeks.
"It is uncommon," said Jooke Robbins, senior scientist and director of the Humpback Whale Studies Program at the Center for Coastal Studies. "Typically, when we see a whale getting close to shore like that, particularly close to Boston, often, it's a young whale. It's a whale that's still learning the ropes and looking around for food. Typically, it's chasing something to feed on."
Laura Howes from Boston Harbor City Cruises also spotted what's believed to be the same whale as she set out on a whale watching tour Monday morning.
"When they're feeding, while they're aware of boats, they are very distracted and they're chasing after very quick fish," said Howes.
On Friday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and local experts held a press conference to remind people how to stay safe around whales. Officials said three juvenile humpback whales have been feeding off the bait fish off Manomet Point and Whitehorse Beach for the past seven to 10 days. The large bait fish have attracted scores of fishermen, along with the boats full of spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of a whale.
Bob Glenn of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries said the whales can be "very unpredictable" when feeding on menhaden, creating a hazard for both whales and humans.
"We understand these are majestic animals and the public would like to view them," he added. "That's fine, but they need to do that from a safe distance."
Executive Director of Whale and Dolphin Conservation Regina Asmutis-Silvia encouraged boaters to stay at least 100 feet away from the whales, to keep speeds down and to turn off their motors when whales are nearby. And she said the safest way to watch them is from land, with binoculars and cameras.
"The interactions we've seen recently jeopardize the safety of everyone involved," Asmutis-Silvia said. "We're very glad no one was hurt, but there can be significant damage. You think hitting a car with a deer is a bad idea, think about a fiberglass boat with a whale."
