Rude Whale Flips Fishing Boat, Tosses Passengers Overboard

Whales are some of the most majestic creatures on Earth, and people pay good money just to see them in action out on the open water. However, they're also incredibly powerful, and can royally screw up your fishing trip. That's what a couple unsuspecting men learned earlier this week... when a whale crested the water, flipped over their boat, and tossed them into the ocean

During what they thought would be a routine fishing trip off the coast of New Jersey on Thursday, two dudes experienced their very own Moby Dick moment, when a big ol' whale flipped their 20-foot boat and spilled them into the water. Fortunately, neither of the men were hurt, and a nearby boat was able to rescue them. 

Gary Szabo, a retired fireman who was boating nearby, heard a mayday call about a capsized boat and he zoomed over to scope things out. Once he arrived to the scene, he helped one of the men aboard, and later brought aboard the other man who was still clinging to the overturned vessel. And while there's no footage of the whale flipping the boat, Szabo was able to capture the aftermath in a GoPro video. A Coast Guard helicopter that also responded to the call can be seen hovering in the background.

"We watched the whale... and all of the sudden the boat just goes whee and it's gone," one of the rescued fishermen can be heard saying on the video. Whale sightings are apparently very common in the area off of Long Branch, New Jersey, but having them flip boats is rare. 

The New Jersey State Police also shared a photo of the capsized vessel on Facebook, along with a cheeky post declaring the "Final Score: Whale 1- Boat 0" and that "Charges against the whale are pending its apprehension."

It's not clear exactly what type of whale was responsible for the flip, but our money's on it being a humpback. They seem to have a knack for this sort thing.

h/tNJ.com

Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.

Joe McGauley is a senior writer for Thrillist. Follow him @jwmcgauley.