Spectacular Shot! Humpback Whale Seen Taking A Leap In The Waters Near Statue Of Liberty

In the last few weeks of this unusual year, New York residents were treated to a rare and delightful sight of a humpback whale hanging out in the Hudson River.

Reuters

¡°The whale just blew about 1,000 feet off my bow!¡± Bjoern Kils, 41, gasped as he snapped photographs of the creature he estimated to be about 40 feet (12 meters) long.

Also Read: Dramatic Footage Of 1,500 Dolphins Playing With A Humpback Whale Has Set The World On A Happy Trip

The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed reports of the sighting, but said it would get involved only if the whale became entangled or otherwise became endangered.

¡°We¡¯re aware, but it¡¯s pretty normal that we get whales out there,¡± Petty Officer Anthony Pappaly told Reuters.

Spotted: A humpback whale in the Hudson River! ?

Whale sightings have increased in recent years in NY's waterways. Reasons for the uptick may include an improvement in local water quality, & an abundance of food sources like Atlantic menhaden.

?: @AndresJavierNYC, 12/07/2020 pic.twitter.com/EopS1DUp4G

¡ª NYC Parks (@NYCParks) December 8, 2020

In recent years, more than a dozen humpback whales have been seen in New York waters, according to state data, with some as close to shore as 550 yards (500 meters) from the beach in Rockaway, Queens.

Reuters

Kils, whose New York Media Boat transports news crews and magazine photographers, said he spotted the whale at about 10 a.m. near Ellis Island.

He immediately tried to warn other vessels to give it wide berth, in the hopes that it might swim safely through the Narrows tidal strait separating Staten Island and Brooklyn, and out into the Atlantic Ocean. Vessels motoring toward the whale included the Staten Island Ferry, a cargo ship and several tug boats.

Also Read: Drone Footage Captures Mother Humpback Whale Protecting Calf From Pod Of Killer Whales

¡°It¡¯s a bit of a silver lining with COVID that there¡¯s not much boat traffic out here, and the whale has a very good chance of getting out into the ocean,¡± Kils said as he spoke by phone from his boat.

Reuters

For hours, the whale surfaced every minute or so for a breath, making its way past New York¡¯s shoreline with sights like the Empire State building in the background.

¡°As we were passing the Statue of Liberty, it flung its tail out of the water - twice!¡± Kils said.

Also Read: Rare White Humpback Whale Spotted In Australia Is Believed To Be The One First Seen In 1991

Humpbacks don¡¯t usually call the Hudson home¡ªin fact, the most recent sighting was in November 2016, when a whale took up residence in the river for about a week. Whales have been making a comeback in New York City in recent years, spurred by cleaner waters and abundant fish.