Rare animal sighting under Brooklyn Bridge alarms New Yorkers: Report

A humpback whale made an unexpected appearance beneath the Brooklyn Bridge on Monday, marking the first sighting of this species in the East River since 2022.
“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,” Danielle Brown, Gotham Whale‘s director of research, told The Post.
A photograph captured the whale displaying its tail fin in the turbulent waters at approximately 4 pm, with the distinctive bridge visible in the background.
The humpback was also observed navigating through the Buttermilk Channel, situated between Governor’s Island and Red Hook, approximately 40 miles from its usual feeding area near Rockaway Beach.

According to Brown, the whale’s presence likely relates to feeding behaviour. The waterway contains Atlantic Menhaden, a preferred food source for humpbacks, alongside white perch, striped bass, flounder, black sea bass and other marine species.
These marine mammals generally avoid the busy urban waters, particularly due to extensive boat traffic, though occasionally venture into these areas for feeding opportunities.
“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,” explained Brown.
While Brown noted this occurrence as “not totally out of the ordinary,” she mentioned that the previous East River humpback sighting occurred in 2022.
A similar sighting was documented in the Hudson River in 2020. “It’s been a couple years, but we’ve had records of other interesting species in the Hudson River,” Brown continued.
“For example, there have been a lot of dolphin sightings in the Hudson River over the years, so we do know it’s possible for these species to move in that direction, but of course, it’s always a surprise — especially when it comes to these whales.”
The single photograph failed to reveal distinguishing characteristics, preventing experts from determining the whale’s precise age or size. However, based on previous observations, Brown suggests it is likely a juvenile measuring between 25 and 35 feet. As of Monday afternoon, no additional sightings were reported, though the whale may still be present in the area.
Previous visiting humpbacks remained in the rivers for several days before returning to sea, suggesting this individual might continue feeding near the Brooklyn Bridge.
Brown urged the public to report any sightings to Gotham Whale, emphasising the importance of monitoring the whale’s behaviour and alerting local fishermen.
“There’s a lot of risks to a whale in that area,” Brown said. “So we’re hoping this whale is going to be safe. We’re hoping that people are watching out for it when they’re on their boats in the area. And these people who are seeing the whale in the river are actually really helping us out by letting people know that they’re seeing it.”