Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Whale spotted in NYC's East River this week, Coast Guard says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Nov 26, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Olivier Morin / AFP via Getty Images
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Nov 26, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Grab those binoculars, New Yorkers, because it’s time for some whale watching.
A whale was spotted in the East River on Monday near the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, flashing its tail out of the water just close enough for people on the Brooklyn shore to get a peek, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, which received multiple reports of the underwater mammal.
Though some social media users said it appeared to be a humpback whale, Coast Guard spokesperson Logan Kaczmarek said the agency wasn’t sure whether it was a humpback or a North Atlantic right whale, one of the world’s most endangered whale species. Still, Kaczmarek said a whale sighting in the East River is special because the usual boat traffic makes it hard to spot aquatic wildlife.
As the reports from community members came on Monday, the Coast Guard put out a marine information broadcast to warn boaters to be cautious, so they would not collide with the whale, according to Kaczmarek.
“We do get a lot of marine mammals in the New York Harbor,” he said. “It’s not rare by any means, but the sightings are less frequent.”
Anywhere from 40 to 80 whale sightings are reported in the New York area every year, especially during the animals’ busy fall and spring migratory seasons, the spokesperson added. With the fall migratory season coming to an end, though, he said it’s hard to know exactly what Monday’s whale was up to.
“I have no clue where that whale specifically was going,” Kaczmarek said. “This one is on a mission to do something.”
Tagged
new york city
manhattan
brooklyn
whale
east river
animals
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. ET
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .