A drone footage capturing the moment when a speedboat collided with an endangered whale calf off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, has caught the Internet’s attention. The accident was recorded by photographer Michael Hatte when he was filming a humpback whale mother and her calf near the northern end of Stanwell Park.
The now-viral video shows the speedboat running over the animal, and the occupants of the boat being thrown forward.
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Speaking to Yahoo News, Hatte shared details about his gut-wrenching experience, calling it a “recipe for disaster.” “It was absolutely horrific. I’m not an emotional guy, but I was absolutely gutted after the incident”.
He also described the accident as a “recipe for disaster”. “It could’ve been absolutely disastrous for the trio involved. They are extremely lucky guys,” Hatte said.
Hatte, who continued to monitor the situation via drone, said he noticed the boat slowing down afterwards, although it was unclear if this was due to shock or possible damage to the vessel.
Yahoo News reported that the three men on board the speedboat were not wearing lifejackets. Upon impact with the calf, they were thrown forward, piling on top of each other.
The mother of the calf involved in the latest accident was also struck by a boat just weeks earlier. Despite both collisions, researchers say the whales appear to be recovering well in the days since the latest accident, according to the Yahoo News report.
The video quickly gained traction, prompting a wave of reactions.
“Humans. How about banning non essential boats and issuing serious fines and suspension of licence if ignored. No boats on the water equals safe passage for whales. It’s Not hard,” a user wrote.
“Thats horrible. Hope the calf and mom are perfectly healthy,” another user commented.
“My heart hurts when I watch the boat and baby hit. So sad to see but glad the calf is safe and so is mum,” a third user reacted.
The report stated that the three men on board the speedboat were not wearing lifejackets (Image source: @brutamerica/Instagram) 
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