Whales seemingly enjoy the urban backdrop of New York City as much as the locals, given the recent humpback whale sighting under the Brooklyn Bridge. The rare event, documented on Monday, shocked onlookers as a humpback whale seemed to briefly exchange its oceanic habitat for the East River's murky waters. The New York Post reported that this sighting marks the first visit from a humpback to the East River in two years.
Danielle Brown, Gotham Whale’s director of research, noted to the New York Post, "It’s much, much more common to see them in the ocean along the coastline. We have only had rare cases of them moving into the river, but it does happen." Given the surprise visit, it's believed that the whale might have been merely following its stomach, to decisively pursue Atlantic menhaden, a known favorite of the species.
The FOX News report included footage capturing the whale's evening journey beneath the historic bridge, eliciting audible amazement from onlookers. The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed the sighting, though they could not immediately specify the whale’s exact species. Gotham Whale emphasized the event's rarity but suggested that the holiday traffic could have obscured further sightings of the whale.
While the encounter under the Brooklyn Bridge was unexpected, it's not the first instance of marine mammals navigating New York’s urban waterways; previous years also brought humpback and even dolphins into the Hudson River. In a statement obtained by FOX News Digital, Gotham Whale detailed the sighting as "somewhat [of an] unusual event," but reminded the public that numerous humpback whales are present off the New York and New Jersey coasts.
Brown further explained to the New York Post, "The whales will follow fish wherever they need to go. So sometimes that does mean heading north into the river, and it does seem to happen this time of year." Although the whale's visitation to the East River was brief, local fishermen and boaters were urged to remain vigilant for marine wildlife presence.
The conservation effort around these sightings is a collaborative call to action for all city dwellers. Gotham Whale advocates for the safety of these animals, inviting residents to contribute to the ongoing study of their behavior and to ensure the physical well-being of these visiting giants by maintaining a safe distance and reporting any sightings.
