Whale jumps off Mackay coast in near collision with boat

It was the ‘cherry on top’ of a successful trip to the reef as a fisherwoman caught on camera the moment a humpback whale almost flipped a boat. SEE THE VIDEO.

Incredible footage has captured the moment a breaching humpback whale has nearly collided with a pair of fishers.

The migrating whale submerges in the water just moments before the boat passes by.

Mackay mother Kylie Marsh was fishing on a friend’s boat when she filmed the amazing encounter on the way back from Wigton Island in the South Cumberland Islands National Park between Airlie Beach and Mackay.

She said as a pod of four whales passed by about 10.30am, one leapt out in front of a tinny travelling towards the pod.

Incredible footage shows a migrating whale jumping out of the water and submerging just seconds before a boat could collide with it. Â Photo: Kylie Marsh

“We were watching and the owner of the boat said ‘Ooh they’ve gotta be careful’,” Ms March said.

“And the next minute the whale’s just gone up in front of them.

“It would have flipped the boat for sure.”

Incredible footage shows a migrating whale jumping out of the water and submerging just seconds before a boat could collide with it. Â Photo: Kylie Marsh

She said it was the first time she had ever seen whales out in the ocean, which was “definitely” an “awesome” experience.

The whale sighting was apparently the cherry on top of a “beautiful day on the water”, with Ms Marsh and her friends hauling in six Spanish mackerel.

“It was the first time I’d been that far out on the reef,” Ms Marsh said.

“It was really cool to see (that) little treat on the way back.

“Especially that close.”

Ms Marsh said she did not know the occupants of the tinny.

Originally published as Whale jumps off Mackay coast in near collision with boat