Whales, that's not something you see every day.
A humpback whale made a shocking splash under the Brooklyn Bridge on Monday, marking the first time in two years that the species has visited the East River.
“It's much more common to see them in the ocean along the coastline. There are only rare cases where they migrate into rivers, but it does happen,” said Daniel Brown, director of research at Gotham Whale. he told the Post.
The only snapshot of the cetacean showed it slapping its impressive fluke against the choppy water around 4pm, with the iconic bridge looming in the distance.
Other reports said the humpback whale also swam in the Buttermilk Channel, a narrow passage between Governors Island and Red Hook, about 60 miles from the whales' usual feeding grounds along Rockaway Beach.
Professor Brown theorizes that the whale was simply looking for food. Atlantic menhaden, a favorite food of humpback whales, are commonly found in the waterways, as well as white bass, striped bass, flounder, and black sea bass.
Whales typically avoid urban epicenters, due in part to heavy boat traffic, but they rarely venture into waterways to feast on the ocean's surplus.
“Whales follow fish wherever they need to go, so sometimes that means heading north into the rivers, and that seems to be the case this time of year,” Brown explained.
Brown called the sighting “not at all unusual,” but recalled that humpback whales last appeared in the East River in 2022.
Previously, in 2020, humpback whales were seen basking in the nearby Hudson River.
“Over the years, we have recorded other interesting species in the Hudson River,” Brown continued.
“For example, there have been a number of dolphin sightings in the Hudson River over the years, and we know these species may migrate in that direction, but of course it's always a surprise, especially with these dolphins. That’s right” Whale. ”
Unfortunately, Monday's visitor's only image did not capture any discernible features, making it impossible for whale experts to confirm the humpback's age or length, although it has Based on information from its ancestors who frequented the site, Brown estimates it to be a juvenile, between 25 and 35 feet long.
As of Monday afternoon, no other whale sightings had been reported, but that doesn't mean the whales have abandoned the Big Apple for deeper waters.
The last few humpback whales to visit spent several days in the river before returning to the ocean. That means visitors could still be munching on menhaden under the Brooklyn Bridge.
Brown implored Gotham Whale to report any further sightings, not only to investigate the animal's behavior, but also to spread the word to fishermen who share the metro's waterways.
“There are a lot of risks to whales in that area,” Brown said. “So we hope this whale is okay. We hope that people will be careful when boating in this area. And we hope that this whale is okay in the river. The people watching are actually really helping us by letting people know they're seeing whales.”
