A humpback whale appeared in the Hudson River off the west side of Manhattan on Thursday, Nov. 12. It was photographed repeatedly spouting and feeding between Pier 40 in the West Village and Chelsea Piers. According to the Daily Mail, it is the first sighting of a humpback whale in the Hudson River off Manhattan's west side since December 2020, about six years ago.
A humpback whale has appeared in the Hudson River off the west side of Manhattan. On Thursday, Nov. 12, crowds gathered along the riverside promenade to watch the whale surface its enormous back and spout water off the West Village and Chelsea. Photos and videos spread quickly on social media. According to the British daily Daily Mail, it is the first sighting of a humpback whale in the Hudson River off Manhattan's west side since December 2020, about six years ago.
At a Glance
Spouting and tail slapping, with cheers from the riverside
Gotham Whale, a nonprofit that documents whales around New York, said, "This afternoon the whale swam and fed in the Hudson River between Pier 40 and Chelsea Piers." The whale rose to the surface and forcefully blew water from its blowhole, and also lifted its tail and slapped the surface. In a video Gotham Whale posted on Facebook, onlookers cheer as the whale rolls and spouts.
The Manhattan Bird Alert account reported that the whale was swimming north from Pier 45 in the West Village. Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal also posted a whale photo provided by Gotham Whale on Facebook. The British newspaper The Guardian reported that the whale stayed in the river until early afternoon.
Gotham Whale said the whale is likely the same one sighted the previous day near the St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island, and that it is working to identify the individual. Each humpback has a unique pattern on the underside of its tail fin, like a human fingerprint, which is used to tell individuals apart. The group believes the young whale came into the Hudson River chasing menhaden, a herring-family fish known as "bunker," and explained that this is not the first time this has happened.
First Hudson River Visit in Six Years; About 100 Whales a Year Now in New York Waters
According to the Daily Mail, the last time a humpback whale was seen in the Hudson River off Manhattan's west side was December 2020. That whale made headlines when it swam close to the Statue of Liberty. Humpback whales were later sighted in the East River on the east side of Manhattan in 2022 and 2024.
Whales rarely venture this far into the river, but the number of humpbacks off New York has grown significantly. Since 2012, Gotham Whale has collected sighting reports from the public and from vessels to build a New York City humpback whale catalog. According to ABC7 New York, the humpbacks recorded by the group passed the 500th whale in August this year. Before 2018, it logged 10 to 30 whales a year; over the past decade or so, that has grown to as many as 100 a year.
Experts point to cleaner water and more food. As water quality has improved, menhaden, the whales' prey, have increased, and some analyses say rising water temperatures in the waters off New England and Canada are bringing whales farther south, near New York. The Daily Mail reported that in November, many humpbacks feed on menhaden off New York as they prepare to head south to the Caribbean for the winter. Adult humpback whales reach 12 to 15 meters in length and weigh up to 40 tons.
"Boats, please slow down"
As the number of whales has grown, so have the risks. The Guardian, citing a New York Times report that compared the whales' situation in busy New York waters to "a deer crossing the road," reported that the number of stranded whales has also increased. Gotham Whale urged vessels passing through the New York area to slow down, keep a safe distance if they see a whale, and watch carefully for the column of water a whale blows when it breathes.
Gotham Whale is accepting photos and sighting reports from the public to learn the size and travel route of the Hudson River whale. If you see the whale from the riverbank, watch from a distance; sending your photos to the group's social media accounts can help identify the individual.