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Gotham Whale

@gothamwhale

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📣 The voice for marine mammals in NY/NJ through research, education, and advocacy! Est. 2009.
🐋 Curators of the NYC Humpback Whale Catalog
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We need your help! 🫵😁📷 Part of our works involves collecting and organizing sightings of whales, dolphins, and seals from the public — from people like YOU! From the South Shore of Long Island to the entire Jersey Shore to the offshore canyons, we want to know if you see a marine mammal here in the New York Bight. These sightings help us grow our understanding of these animals in our local waters. In the case of Humpback Whales, we may even be able to tell you which individual animal you saw! 🐳 🔗 Visit gothamwhale.org/wanted to learn more and submit your sightings. With any questions or issues, please email our team at research@gothamwhale.org ➡️ We love your sightings in our DMs and tags, but in order for us to add your sightings to our database, it needs to be sent to one of the two places above! Once you send it in, still be sure to tag us here! #marinelife #newyork #longisland #jerseyshore #longislandny by @gothamwhale
2
2 months ago
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A humpback whale feeding in front of the NYC skyline. This is a sight that has become more and more common over the last decade, and we have been at the forefront of this story as researchers, educators, and activists since it began in the early 2010s. It's our mission to learn more about these animals in our waters, to spread the word to engage everyday New Yorkers (and New Jerseyans) with their coastal wildlife, and to make sure these whales can keep coming here to find food. Follow us to keep up with the whales of NYC and to stay in the loop on all things #GothamWhale! Help us spread the word by sharing this photo! 📸: @stlawrence.gallery taken in New York, New York by @gothamwhale
29
2 years ago
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Happy 400 to the NYC Humpback Whale Catalog! This means we have been able to identify 400 individual humpback whales since we first started documenting their presence in these waters back in 2011 using images of their fluke. Here's to many more! 🍻 Ever see a whale here in the NY Bight? Support our work and help us add to our catalog. Take a photo with the location and send it to us at GothamWhale.org/WANTED #nyc #newyorkcity #whales #whalewatching #whale by @gothamwhale
4
2 years ago
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ORCA seen ~10nm off of Montauk, LONG ISLAND‼️😳 An incredible sighting by the crew over at @oseasfdn! Thanks to Dr. Craig O’Connell for sharing this sighting with us at Gotham Whale. Many more people are now becoming familiar with the famous lone male Orca named Old Thom, but did you know the waters off the East Coast does, in fact, host a small population of Killer Whales? Old Thom was reportedly seen the day after this sighting by Canadian whale-watchers near Nova Scotia, so this would likely be a different whale — a member of this more mysterious population. The poorly-known population of East Coast Killer Whales is incredibly rare, but was more frequently seen in the 1970s and 80s, including a sighting off Long Island in 1986. Though much remains unknown about them, it is thought that they prey heavily on Bluefin Tuna and could follow their migration patterns up and down the Western North Atlantic. There is a population of Killer Whales in the Caribbean, where they are known to hunt young Humpback Whales, and there have been others seen in the Gulf of Mexico. One recent confirmed East Coast sighting of Killer Whales consisted of four whales seen south of Martha’s Vineyard in 2023 by @newenglandaquarium’s @andersoncabotcenter — confirmation that this species does still use the waters of Southern New England and likely the Mid-Atlantic. Still, they are *INCREDIBLY* rare to see, and a sighting like this is probably once-in-a-lifetime. It can be easy to mistake this species for other cetaceans, like side-swimming Fin Whales or high-dorsalled Risso’s Dolphins, but we do occasionally hear rumors about Killer Whales seen offshore in places like Hudson Canyon. If you have seen a Killer Whale in NY/NJ before, tell us about it: SEND US YOUR SIGHTING (with photo)‼️ We’d love to hear about it and add it to our marine mammal sightings database to help further our understanding of these animals in our waters. If you see a 🐋,🐬, or 🦭 in NY/NJ, our research team wants to know about it! Take a photo and record the coordinates, then submit your sighting at gothamwhale.org/wanted or via research@gothamwhale.org #killerwhale #orca #longisla taken in Montauk, New York by @gothamwhale
24
a day ago
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Lots of familar flukes near NYC right now! 🐋 If you’ve been following us since last year, you may recognize the whale in all of these photos… it’s NYC0332! They were our most-documented whale in 2025, and now they’re back near city waters! They are also known as “Endurance,” as named through the collaborative efforts of scientists and naturalist across the East Coast, initiated by the Center for Coastal Studies and the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale Catalog. Humpback Whales are very site-loyal, meaning they often return to the same areas to feed year after year. Despite having fewer whales than primary feeding grounds, this is often true for the whales we see here in the New York Bight — especially the juveniles that are looking to avoid competing with older whales for food further offshore. NYC0332 is just one of many returning whales we have seen this year! 🔔 Stay tuned as we share more of the whales currently being seen here in New York-New Jersey! If you see a 🐋,🐬, or 🦭 in NY/NJ, our research team wants to know about it! **We may even be able to tell you which individual whale you saw!** Take a photo and record the coordinates, then submit your sighting at gothamwhale.org/wanted or via research@gothamwhale.org 🙏 Support Gotham Whale by donating HERE: gothamwhale.org/donate by @gothamwhale
8
3 days ago
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Thresher Sharks! Whales aren’t the only ones taking advantage of the feeding opportunities here in the NY Bight! 🐟🦈 It’s #SharkAwarenessDay and we’re featuring one of the New York Bight’s most incredible cartilaginous predators: the Thresher! These guys, growing up to 20 feet long (half of that being tail!), are a relatively common resident in our coastal waters and can sometimes even be seen breaching clear out of the water! People sometimes see Thresher Sharks feeding on schools of small fish, like Atlantic Menhaden, near the shore — the same areas where Humpback Whales are often feeding. Despite their large size and imposing tails (which are used to stun their prey), Threshers are considered harmless to humans. The New York Bight is full of life! 🐋🦈🐬 — 📸1: A closeup look! As seen from the water by @ackermancelia aboard @american_princess_cruises 📸2: A Thresher Shark as seen just a few feet off the beach in Rockaway by @newyorkcitywild 📸3: Feeding frenzy! Naturalist Celia Ackerman says there were Threshers in the mix here alongside other shark species. 📸4: A blurry look at a breaching Thresher by @stlawrence.gallery — If you see a 🐋,🐬, or 🦭 in NY/NJ, our research team wants to know about it! **We may even be able to tell you which individual whale you saw!** Take a photo and record the coordinates, then submit your sighting at gothamwhale.org/wanted or via research@gothamwhale.org 🙏 Support Gotham Whale by donating HERE: gothamwhale.org/donate by @gothamwhale
1
11 days ago
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Dolphins in New York Harbor? You bet! 🐬🗽 This pod of Tamanend’s Bottlenose Dolphins was spotted from the Staten Island Ferry this weekend by citizen scientist Liz Masure. This species is perfectly at home in estuarine habitats like the Upper New York Bay, though they are much more frequent in the ocean, where you might see them close to the beaches across Long Island and the Jersey Shore. We don’t fully understand the extent to which dolphins use the Upper Bay, so receiving sightings like this can be important to efforts to learn more. ➡️ Have you seen dolphins in the Harbor or another interesting place? We’d love to add your sightings to our database! Send us a photo, time, and location at research@gothamwhale.org 🙏 Support Gotham Whale by donating HERE: gothamwhale.org/donate (More info in pinned comment) by @gothamwhale
3
12 days ago
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A SLEEPING BABY WHALE! How difficult is it to see a whale at the surface? It may be easy when they are breaching or feeding, but what about when they are sleeping? Humpback Whales rest at the surface in a behavior called “logging,” where they look like a floating log. This video shows a mom-calf pair seen yesterday off the Jersey Shore logging together at the surface. You can clearly see how a passing vessel may not see them or may not realize that they are whales! Please watch out for all whales that are currently feeding and resting along the Jersey Shore and Long Island, especially baby whales which are very vulnerable. 🐳🛥️ Learn more about whale-safe boating in this FREE online course, special-made for our local waters: boatingwithwhales.com (link in bio) If you see a 🐋,🐬, or 🦭 in NY/NJ, our research team wants to know about it! **We may even be able to tell you which individual whale you saw!** Take a photo and record the coordinates, then submit your sighting at gothamwhale.org/wanted or via research@gothamwhale.org 🙏 Support Gotham Whale by donating HERE: gothamwhale.org/donate 🛥️ @jerseyshorewhalewatch by @gothamwhale
9
14 days ago
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A Humpback Whale and Tamanend’s Bottlenose Dolphins near Sandy Hook Bay cruising by the tall ships! Special thanks to citizen scientist Brian Walsh (@bringing_nature_to_you_bw) for sharing this encounter with us and submitting it to our NY/NJ marine mammal sightings database. 🐋🐬⛵️ This weekend showed us just how busy our urban waterways can be. Gotham Whale’s 15+ years of documenting marine mammal sightings in the NY/NJ area is creating a greater understanding of how these animals use these areas, providing information that can help inform efforts to safely coexist with them. A whale was struck by a Carteret fire department vessel in the back of Raritan Bay near Perth Amboy on July 4th, a few hours after this photo was taken. We received reports of a few different animals in this area, and we are still not certain which individual was struck. This individual D0269 (D for dorsal-only) has not yet been photo-documented after July 4, so we cannot confirm this was not the struck whale. We are working with with the Marine Mammal Stranding Center to re-sight the struck individual and evaluate the extent of their injuries. 🚨 If you see an injured marine mammal, call your state’s Stranding Hotline immediately NJ — 609-266-0538 NY — 631-369-9829 If you see a 🐋,🐬, or 🦭 in NY/NJ, our research team wants to know about it! **We may even be able to tell you which individual whale you saw!** Take a photo and record the coordinates, then submit your sighting at gothamwhale.org/wanted or via research@gothamwhale.org #whales #whale #nyc #marinelife #conservation by @gothamwhale
7
15 days ago
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Have you seen whales in the New York Harbor lately? We have! A healthier harbor creates healthier ecosystems, supporting everything from the smallest marine life to the largest visitors in New York Harbor. As water quality improves and habitats recover and change, we are seeing whales, dolphins, seals, and other marine species using these waters they haven't historically visited in generations – and in some cases, in numbers never before documented. That's why we're proud to partner with our friends at @gothamwhale. Through research and responsible wildlife observation, they're helping New Yorkers discover the incredible marine life living just beyond the skyline while deepening our understanding of the Harbor's recovery. Over the coming months, we'll be sharing more about our collective wildlife sightings and what it means here in the city, and what their presence tells us about the future of this remarkable ecosystem. This is a shot from the past. But today, out on the water we saw a whale, many dolphins, and a few shark species. New York is alive with life! See comments for location, date and time of this particular sighting. Stay tuned for more from our wildlife adventures … 📷 @stlawrence.gallery - leading communications for Gotham Whale. #gothamwhale #billionoysterproject #nyharbor #newyorkwildlife #restoration #whales by @gothamwhale
53
17 days ago
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As seen recently a few miles off of Sandy Hook… 🐟🍴 Lunge-feeding is a common behavior documented in our local Humpback Whales. When feeding at the surface, these animals can be fast-moving, difficult to predict, and sometimes may seem “distracted” from their surroundings — including boats. These factors make them especially vulnerable to vessel strikes in our coastal waters. 👀 Boaters should always remain on the lookout for spouts and other signs of whale activity, and reduce their speeds upon sighting one of these animals. Try to avoid boating through active surface schools of baitfish, which may have feeding whales below. Similarly, if you see a whale-watching vessel nearby, reduce speeds. 🐳🛥️ Learn more about whale-safe boating in this FREE online course, created by partner organizations from across the NYC and Long Island area: boatingwithwhales.com (link in bio) #humpbackwhale #whale #whales #conservation taken in Sandy Hook by @gothamwhale
2
18 days ago
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You may have caught us on @newsnationnow this evening discussing this weekend’s boat strike in Raritan Bay, part of the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary, following the Sail4th 250 Parade of Sail. Hear from our very own Dr. Danielle Brown to learn more about these animals in local waters, then follow us to continue to learning. If we could have made one edit: those lower titles should not be blaming the whale! ➡️ To learn more about how to safely boat around whales, check out this free online whale-safe boating course: boatingwithwhales.com 🚨 If you see an injured marine mammal, call your state’s Stranding Hotline immediately NJ — 609-266-0538 NY — 631-369-9829 🐳 Support Gotham Whale by donating HERE: gothamwhale.org/donate #whales #newyorkcity #whale #nyc #conservation by @gothamwhale
14
19 days ago
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