Man rescued after whale sinks boat off Queensland

A man has been rescued off Queensland's Hervey Bay after his boat and a whale collided in the early hours of Sunday.

The Queensland water police saved a man after his boat was struck by a whale. Source: Twitter @QldPolice

A man has spent two hours in the water after his eight-metre boat struck a whale and sank in waters 37 kilometres off Queensland's Hervey Bay.

The man, the lone occupant onboard, was able to activate his emergency beacon after the incident just before 3am on Sunday.

(File) Police didn't know what type of whale hit the boat. (AAP) Source: AAP

Two hours later rescue helicopters and water police found the man floating in the water and he was taken to hospital with arm and rib injuries and hypothermia.

"It was a little bit difficult to actually get him into the vessel (because of his injuries)," Hervey Bay Water Police officer Senior Constable Craig Collings said.

"He was quite fatigued and relieved at the same time."

It is not known what kind of whale hit the man's boat, police said.