World - Australia
Updated: September 10, 2022

Five Dead As New Zealand Boat Collides With Whale

By Quadri Adejumo
September 10, 2022
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Five people are reported to have died after a boat in New Zealand capsized following a collision with a whale.

New Zealand’s public broadcaster RNZ (Radio New Zealand) reported on Saturday that the boat capsized off Goose Bay near the South Island town of Kaikoura.

It added that eleven people were on board when it overturned and five bodies were later recovered by emergency services workers. Six people were rescued.

Kaikoura’s Mayor Craig Mackle said that the sea was calm at the time of the accident and the assumption was that a whale had surfaced from beneath the boat and flipped it.

Mackle added that there were sperm whales in the area and also some humpback whales travelling through at the time.

Kaikoura is a popular whale-watching destination.

A number of businesses in the area offer boat trips or helicopter rides so tourists can see whales, dolphins and other sea creatures up close.