the view over the ship's rail

First a thump ,then the ratcheting sound of hard scales against the keel and hull of your ship as a creature almost as big as your ship rubs itself up against the hull of your ship. A strange behavior, but if you keep your cool and don't over-react not a fatal one. That is, not fatal as long as your ship isn't too small.
Picture and models rendered in Carrara 8.5 pro.