An Andover man reeled in a whale of a story while fishing off the coast of New Hampshire this week.
Mike Lamagna, 30, has been fishing the seacoast for most of his life, but he’d never had an experience like Monday when a humpback whale breached just feet in front of him and swam underneath his paddleboard.
“I was in the water, I heard a sound to my right and I turned my head quickly,” he said. “That’s when the camera caught it.”
Lamagna got the footage thanks to the GoPro camera attached to his head.
“I was stunned to say the least,” he said. “It was wild. [A] really awesome experience.”
Lamagna’s first thought was that he was going in the water, but his instincts kicked in immediately.
“Suprisingly, I wasn’t nervous at all,” he said. “I’ve been taught all my life to stay calm on the water no matter what. Those actions were definitely put into motion with [this] experience.”
From the shore, Lamagna’s mother was able to get a shot of what Mike believes is another humpback that was nearby.
It’s been quite a week on the water for the fashion industry entrepreneur. A few days after his encounter with the humpback, Lamagna caught a mako shark while fishing about a dozen miles off shore. He also got footage of a duo of dolphins swimming by.
Lamagna may not have nabbed the really big one, but he’s certainly got a tale to tell for years to come.
“For me the highlight is watching [the whale] swim off in such a gentle manner and really not even make a ripple below the surface,” he said. “That was really surprising and unique.”
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