New Yorkers got a rare sighting of aquatic wildlife this week when a humpback whale reportedly made a surprising appearance under the Brooklyn Bridge on November 25. A single snapshot of the species displayed it making a big splash in the water by striking its massive tail, at around 4 p.m., with the bridge looming in the background. As reported by the New York Post, the underwater mammal visited the East River for the first time in two years.
US Coast Guard says it was special for New Yorkers
On Monday, the people of New York got a taste of whale watching. The U.S. Coast Guard received several reports of a whale being spotted around the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, giving a peek at its ginormous fluke. According to Gothamist, Logan Kaczmarek, a spokesperson from the Coast Guard, explained that several social media users identified the aquatic mammal as a humpback whale. However, the agency was unsure whether it was the North Atlantic right whale or humpback whale.
Whichever the species may be, according to Kaczmarek, it was a special sighting for New Yorkers. He said, “We do get a lot of marine mammals in the New York Harbor.” The spokesperson continued, “It’s not rare by any means, but the sightings are less frequent.” Kaczmarek further talked about how he had “no clue where that whale specifically was going.” However, he added, “This one is on a mission to do something.”
According to the New York Post, the director of research at Gotham Whale, Danielle Brown also gave her opinions on the whale sighting in New York. She said, “It’s much, much more common to see them in the ocean along the coastline.” Brown explained, “We have only had rare cases of them moving into the river, but it does happen.” As suggested by the director’s theory, the whale might just have been there to hunt for a meal.
