Whale Spotted in the Hudson!

The NYPD Harbor Patrol and U.S. Coast Guard have reported that a whale has been spotted just north of the Verrazano Bridge! Last year scientists said they had discovered an impressive amount of whales "only a couple of miles from the Statue of Liberty," but they commented on the non-ideal location, saying "It would be like trying to make a home in the middle of the Long Island Expressway." Earlier this year a juvenile humpback whale was caught in lobster netting off New Jersey, and was set free unharmed. Hopefully this whale will also go unscathed.

UPDATE: We just got word that the whale search is in the area of Staten Island, and media helicopters are on the scene searching. We'd imagine some experts are also on their way to the scene. Fox News was reporting live from their helicopter and spotted the whale (pictured).

UPDATE II: The same whale was believed to be seen off Rockaway last night. Newsday reports that "Petty Officer 3rd Class Barbara Patton says onlookers gathered on the Queens beach Wednesday evening when it appeared the 20-foot whale might beach itself." The whale then disappeared.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in News on April 9, 2009 10:44 AM

Comments [rss]

snickerdoodle

Wow, first the beavers making a comeback now the whales have arrived. Positive signs for NYC's water environment.

PosterBoy

The whale is here with a message for us humans living in one of the planet's most influential cities. If you listen for it you will hear it.

NYDirk

Fail whale

Kojak

It was probably your mom.

Ohhhhhhh

Clarice City

Mr. Splashy Pants?!!

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/oceans/whaling/great-whale-trail/mrsplashypants

verbal

is costanza on the case yet?

Dude69

Make sure to steer it away from the Gowanus Canal, or the East River for that matter.

valeriob

Someone wake me up when you see a Narwhal :)

Rob T Firefly

There goes a narwhal!! </fredschneider>

other_islander

Since when are the Narrows below the Verrazano considered the Hudson River?

Jen Chung

The whale was actually north of the Verrazano Bridge for a while and had headed into the Hudson. Perhaps realizing the Hudson is only an estuary, it went back south.

matty

I thought the hudson was a river and the east river is an estuary?

themsthebreaks

An estuary is where a river meets the sea. I forget where the estuary portion ends, like 130th st or something...but I believe it's still the Hudson til it hits the Bay.

henry.hamilton

I THINK the Hudson is a river, and serves as an estuary. The Eastie is a Tidal Strait.

matty

Ah, this is correct. Wiki says it experiences tidal forces as far north as troy and is an estuary in the south.

The east river is, in fact, a tidal straight, as you said.