Sully the Whale Heads South

Photo by NYPD Scuba Police Officer Matthew Pecora

The NY Times reports that a resident first reported spotting the whale to authorities around 8 a.m. (it's assumed to be the same whale seen Wednesday night trying to beach itself at Rockaway); by 11 a.m. it was a mile from the Verrazano Bridge and by 1:15 p.m. it was off the coast of Coney Island. The Coast Guard established a safety zone so that the whale and ships passing in the Harbor would not be in danger of colliding.

The 30-foot-long mammal was last seen at 2:24 p.m. in Ambrose Channel heading in the right direction, south, and the Coast Guard suspended their security zone around 4 p.m. The NY Post reports while experts say it was slightly underweight, it was not believed to be in distress and showed no signs of illness or injury (see it swimming around in this AP report). It's noted that "humpback whales occasionally wander into New York Harbor, and some have been adventurous enough to go up the Hudson River." Note to children's book authors: The tall tales of Sully the Whale would make for good reading.