Area marine life experts say Tuesday’s whale breach and boat strike off the coast of Rye was the “perfect storm of bad timing.”

Experts are urging boaters to be mindful of the massive mammal as it feeds in the Gulf of Maine.

The quick rescue of two fishermen knocked into the water after the whale landed on their boat while feeding has captivated an international audience.

The encounter was caught on camera by a Marshwood High School student and has been shared across the globe. The humpback breached, aiming to get a mouthful of menhaden and landed on the boat’s engine, forcing the vessel to tip upward and roll over, sending the two fishermen into the Atlantic.

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