Whale watching boat snags on cable in Boston Harbor

BOSTON, July 29 (UPI) -- A three-hour whale watch turned into an overnight trip for 157 tourists after a boat got snagged on a communication line in Boston Harbor.

The Cetacea returned to dock Tuesday morning after Coast Guard divers freed the vessel.

The vessel was on its way back to Boston when it got stuck Monday afternoon. Those on board said rough water prevented the Coast Guard from transferring them to another boat.

Instead, the Coast Guard brought blankets.

Some of the passengers appeared to have enjoyed the experience. Colter Bawden, 8, of Newmarket, Ontario, was visiting Boston with his family.

"I liked it," Colter told the Boston Herald. "We were out on a boat and we were stuck out there and we had to sleep overnight and we got to see divers."

Passengers praised the six-member crew.

"It was an amazing experience, actually," Mohammad Almermesh, a visitor from Saudi Arabia, said. "We were scared, but the crew alleviated all that because they were very helpful."

Sheila Green, a spokeswoman for Boston Harbor Cruises, said the passengers were being given $100 gift cards for the cruise line, $500 in cash and refunds of their $50 tickets to make up for the inconvenience.

The whale-watching trips go to Stellwagen Bank, an underwater plateau between Cape Cod and Cape Ann. The area is a prime feeding ground for humpback whales in the summer.