Whale injured in collision with fishing boat near Weizhou Island

A Bryde's whale was injured after colliding with a fishing boat near Weizhou Island, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the local authority confirmed in an announcement on Tuesday.

The government of Beihai city is taking measures to aid the whale's recovery.

The incident was highlighted in a video showing the injury on the whale's back. An investigation revealed that the boat, conducting shrimp fishing about 3 nautical miles off the island on Feb 7, struck the whale around 3:30 pm when it was about 1 nautical mile from shore.

The operator could not avoid the whale as it was less than 10 meters away when spotted.

Nanjing Normal University researchers identified the whale by a 50-60 cm white scar on its back. Experts say the injury is not severe. The whale continues to be active in the area, and constant monitoring will be conducted.

The latest guidelines mandate reduced speeds within 300 meters of whales and switching off the engine within 100 meters to ensure their safety.