Whale-watching boat collides with whale, 1 injured

A small boat collided with a whale off the town of Les Bergeronnes, Que. on Monday, hurling two people into the water.

Both people were quickly rescued and transported to a hospital in Les Escoumins, further north along the St. Lawrence River, about 150 kilometres east of Saguenay.

Another person was injured after the collision, which happened after a whale surfaced near the boat and could not be avoided.

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The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has sent investigators to the site to get more details.

According to Tadoussac-based marine research group GREMM, collisions with whales happen frequently, but this is the first time it has resulted in an injury.

A spokesperson for the group said the Zodiac boat's speed may have been a factor.

"All boats in an area like this are at risk. It's the whales' territory and they are there to feed during the summer. They have patterns and movements that are unpredictable," GREMM president Robert Michaud said.