BELMAR, NJ – A Philadelphia fisherman and his son were out fishing for bass and tuna off the coast of Belmar when they caught a little more than they bargained for. A humpback whale breached the water just feet from their boat while chasing schools of bunker.
The encounter was captured by the fisherman’s son, Zach Piller.
Suddenly, the bunker around their 18-foot Starcraft started jumping out of the water, then the humpback whale jumped out of the water to grab a bite from below.
Whale sightings have been abundant along the Monmouth County coast this week as the whales, dolphins and blue fin tuna are chasing large schools of bunker up and down the coast.
“Epic whale footage. Hitting the side of our boat,” Piller said after posting the video on Instagram.