Yacht-Jumping Southern Right Whale: FAQ

On Sunday, South Africans Paloma Werner (Cape Town Sailing Academy administrator) and Ralph Mothes (a sailing instructor), were on a yacht near Robben Island when a young 40-ton Southern Right whale they'd been watching shot out of the waters and landed on the yacht. When it was all over, the couple was left with scattered barnacles, pieces of black whale blubber and a broken mast.

Hold the 'Free Willy' Jokes! A southern right whale jumps over a yacht off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa.

Werner told MSNBC that the whale got 330 to 650 ft from the yacht, disappeared and reappeared at 10 to 20 meters from the boat. She said she thought the whale was "just having fun," and "did not intend to attack us," yet sources say that boats in the area had been harassing the whale by going closer than the 980-ft. exclusion zone put in effect by marine authorities. Now the incident is reportedly being investigated by South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, which notes that boats should not be sailed directly at whales for any reason.

What else do we know about the Southern Right whale's lifestyle and habits? Surge Desk presents answers to your basic whale questions, via the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

1. How big is a typical Southern Right whale?
Adults can be 45 to 55 f98t long and weigh a total of 60 tons.

2. What do Southern Right whales eat?
Mainly zooplankton. They catch it by skimming: leaving their mouths open while swimming through a patch of zooplankton.

3. Where can Southern Right whales be found?
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has identified four right whale habitats, which apply to northern and southern right whales:

1. Feeding
2. Calving
3. Nursery
4. Breeding

Feeding usually happens in higher latitudes and calving, nursing, and breeding in lower latitudes with warm, shallow waters.

4. What are some of the biggest and most common threats to Southern Right whales?
Collisions with vessels, entanglement in fishing gear, chemical pollution and kelp gulls, which are birds who feed on the skin and blubber of right whales--leaving them with large open sores.
5. What should be done when boating in Southern Right whale territory?
The NOAA requires sailors to reduce vessel speed to 11.5 mph in specific areas along the US East Coast where the whales feed, migrate and calve.

Watch a video containing footage nearby witnesses caught:


Source:AOLnews.com