Couple shaken as whale leaps out of water onto sail boat

A COUPLE in Cape Town, South Africa, were left shaken on Tuesday after a Southern Right Whale jumped out of the water and crashed onto their sail boat.

Paloma Werner and her partner, Ralph Mothes, both experienced sailors, were watching the 40-ton whale from a distance in Table Bay, near Cape Town harbour, when it moved toward their 10-meter vessel and breached 20 meters away.

Ms Werner told CNN she expected the whale to swim under the boat. The whale had other plans, however.