The tale of the ferry and the whale

From the BBC: "A high-speed Japanese ferry has collided with a suspected whale, leaving 49 people injured -- 13 in a serious condition." The incident occurred "near the city of Kagoshima on the southern island of Kyushu". Apparently, "[t]he ferry is now unable to move on its own and will have to be towed back to port".

But was it a whale? "Officials believe the boat collided with a whale or another large sea animal." No word on the poor creature's welfare or whereabouts.

How would you feel if a high-speed ferry zoomed across your natural habitat?