Boat nearly capsizes after fatally striking 20-foot sea creature off NJ coast

A sea creature was fatally hit by boaters off the coast of New Jersey, experts said.

On Aug. 2, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center got reports from New Jersey troopers that a boater in the Barnegat Bay near the Inlet hit a 20-foot minke whale, according to a news release by the stranding center.

The crash threw a passenger overboard and caused the boat to nearly capsize, officials said.

The whale was pronounced deceased and was “resting on a sandbar in very shallow water outside the channel,” officials said.

Although officials were able to get within 30 yards of the whale, they weren’t able to perform a direct examination because of the water conditions, officials said.

The whale is scheduled to be moved on Aug. 4 and a necropsy will be performed, officials said.

While the whale waits to be moved, boaters in the area are asked to stay a minimum of 150 feet away from the carcass, officials said.

Officials urge anyone who comes across a stranded whale, to call (609) 266-0538.

Barnegat Bay is about a 50-mile drive southeast from Trenton.