At 2 pm yesterday hundreds of passengers were left stranded after the ferry they were travelling on, the Dublin swift, hit a suspected whale. The ferry was travelling at 40 knots at the time the incident occurred just off the coast of Holyhead in north Wales. No injuries have been reported, but the vessel will be taken into docks for two days as a precautionary measure so any damage can be inspected and repaired. Four thousand passengers' travel plans have been disrupted by the collision, but all have been safely moved onto car ferries.
"We're not too sure exactly what happened. The Jonathan Swift hit something big and soft and the suggestion is that it's some kind of sea mammal", said a representative from Irish Ferries.
It isn't the first boat in the year to acquire damage after hitting a large aquatic animal. Earlier in the year Mike Sanderson and the rest of the ABN Amro One crew were shaken when they hit a shark on the Vigo to Cape Town leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. However this didn't stop them from smashing the current world speed record.
If you have been affected by the incident, you can find out more information and departure times of the car ferries on 0818 300400 in Ireland and 08705 171717 in the UK.
