The Aporia · Massive humpback whale launches out of water, slams into fishing boat off Long Island

Massive humpback whale launches out of water, slams into fishing boat off Long Island

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Cruz, B. (2026, October 13). Massive humpback whale launches out of water, slams into fishing boat off Long Island. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/10/13/us-news/humpback-whale-launches-out-of-water-slams-into-fishing-boat-off-long-island/

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Quick Summary

Steven Heid, a fisherman off Long Island’s Moriches Inlet near Fire Island, had a close encounter with a humpback whale weighing between 50,000 and 80,000 pounds that launched out of water and collided with his boat, causing minor damage. The incident was captured on video by Heid’s nephew, Oliver Samter. This event highlights the resurgence in marine life around Long Island; recent sightings include a great white shark off the East End in late June, reflecting a comeback for whales and sharks after years of absence.

Written by AI on 2026-10-13, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

On October 13, 2026, a humpback whale, typically weighing between 50,000 to 80,000 pounds, caused a dramatic incident off the coast of Moriches Inlet on Long Island’s East End. Fisherman Steven Heid and his companions were fishing near Fire Island when they encountered the massive creature. To avoid harming the whale with their boat's propeller, Heid shut down the engine. Moments later, the whale leaped out of the water and collided with the boat, damaging its hatch. Although both the fisherman and the whale escaped unharmed, the incident left everyone in shock. The fisherman stated, “I thought we might be going down, but the boat was OK, the whale was OK.” This encounter highlights the resurgence of marine life in Long Island's waters after decades of decline.

Written for “Whale Strikes Fishing Boat” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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sentences that state something as happening or true

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1 of 13 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

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not political

takes no side on a contested political question

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66/100

New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

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Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Who wrote this

Brandon Cruz

37 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

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🔮 “I thought we might be going down, but the boat was OK, the whale was OK.

2026-10-13 · assertive framing · Massive humpback whale launches out of water, slams into fishing boat off Long Island

Also by Brandon Cruz

Loch Ness Monster sightings more than double since last year — but not everyone is convinced prehistoric legend is real

2026-10-26 · New York Post

Scientists trapped antimatter particle for months — but studying it without blowing up lab was a challenge

2026-10-25 · New York Post

Long Island GOP pushes for gov’t takeover of water utility — given ‘outrageous’ rate requests

2026-10-25 · New York Post

Disturbing twist involving Flock database and women seeking abortions

2026-10-25 · New York Post

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 37 articles by Brandon Cruz →

Claims (13 extracted, 1 hedged)

A fisherman on Long Island had a close call with a humpback whale — with dramatic video showing the colossal mammal launching out of the water and smashing into the boat. asserted

mammal → have → boat

The whale — which typically weighs between 50,000 and 80,000 pounds — is seen in the wild clip causing the surrounding fish to flee before it leaps from the ocean and busts the boat’s hatch open as it collides with the vessel. asserted

it → weigh → vessel

“I thought we might be going down, but the boat was OK, the whale was OK. uncertain

whale → think → ?

It was just crazy,” the startled fisherman, Steven Heid, told News 12. asserted

fisherman → tell → News

Heid said he was out fishing with his father-in-law and nephew off Moriches Inlet on the East End adjacent to Fire Island when they spotted the whale a few hundred yards away. asserted

they → say → whale

The mammal then began moving toward their boat, at which point he shut off the engine to avoid hurting the beast with the propeller. asserted

he → begin → propeller

Heid’s nephew, Oliver Samter, began recording as the whale swam closer to the vessel. asserted

whale → begin → vessel

Just seconds later, the giant humpback can be seen shooting straight out of the water. asserted

humpback → see → water

“I was like, ‘Holy cow, what just happened?'” Samter told the outlet. asserted

Samter → happen → outlet

Recently, whales and sharks have been making a comeback in Long Island’s waters after decades of preferring other areas, the Post previously reported. asserted

Post → make → areas

In late June, a gigantic 12-foot-long, 1,000-pound great white shark was tracked off of Long Island’s East End, and the largest great white ever discovered in the Atlantic Ocean was trailing behind it. asserted

white → track → it

“There was a time when seeing a whale here was a rare event,” the New York State Nature Conservancy Oceans and Fisheries Director Carl LoBue said in August. asserted

LoBue → be → August

“Now, there are multiple whale watching boats spotting whales nearly every day, and many times you can see them from the beach,” he added. asserted

he → be → beach

Massive humpback whale launches out of water, slams into fishing boat off Long Island

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Claims (13 extracted, 1 hedged)