Gotham Whale

08/28/2026

We are excited to be at The Ocean Race Atlantic this weekend sharing about NY/NJ’s whales and dolphins and our mission in research, education, and advocacy! 🐋🐬🗽

Come find us through Tuesday at Brooklyn Bridge Park in NYC to get hands on with whale artifacts, hear about recent whale sightings, and dive into the work being done to help protect them in our local waters! Come find us and snag a photo with our whale vertebrate 👀

➡️ Whale shirts, hats, and more available for purchase to support our work!

08/27/2026

GOTHAM WHALE FUNDRAISER THIS OCTOBER!!

Join us for FLUKETOBERFEST 2026! Raise a glass, save a whale!

On October 21st, 2026, Gotham Whale is hosting a tricky tray (basket raffle) at Flagship Brewing Company! Join us for a fun night of food, music, and raffles, all to benefit the whales of NYC! We will have THREE tiers of prizes, including gift cards to local restaurants, whale watching tickets, and even a few MEGA grand prizes! Stay tuned to our social media for prize teasers in the coming weeks.

Individual admission $40, including food, music, GW swag bag, and 10 free tier 1 raffle tickets! Cash bar available with craft brews from Flagship. Scan the QR code on the flyer for more info!

SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE! Do you have a business that loves whales? We are looking for sponsors for this event! Sponsorship options range from $150-$1,000. Benefits include social media mention and logo on signage. More info can be found at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/fluketoberfest-fundraiser-to-benefit-gotham-whale

08/22/2026

🐋 NYC0332, also known as Endurance, is still enjoying a New York summer!🗽

This Humpback Whale has been a New York regular for most of this season, and was also our most-documented whale last season, in 2025. These are some photos of Endurance off the coast of Rockaway shared by citizen scientist Brian Doherty, but they have also been documented this week off of Sandy Hook and in the shipping lanes south of Coney Island. They have very unique features on their fluke and dorsal fin (to the left in the tandem pair image!), making them one of our favorite whales to identify.

There are several whales in the NYC area right now and even more across the Jersey Shore and South Shore. Help us track them! 👇

📸 If you see a 🐋 in NY/NJ, take a photo (especially of the dorsal fin or fluke!) and record the coordinates, then submit your sighting to [email protected]

➡️ Endurance was named through the collaborative efforts of scientists and naturalist across the East Coast, initiated by the Center for Coastal Studies and the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale Catalog.

💙 Take home some whale flukes seen right here in the New York Bight… in sticker form! Comment STICKER or visit our bio for the link. All proceeds go directly to our mission in local whale research, education, and advocacy.

08/19/2026

Welcome back NYC0188… officially named Melody! 🎶

You may have heard about some whales off of Jones Beach recently… This is where Melody was most recently documented, a few days ago by allstar citizen scientist Brian Doherty! Gotham Whale has documented this juvenile male Humpback Whale in the New York Bight TWENTY-SEVEN times since 2020, with appearances near NYC every year since! A true New Yorker.

Melody has an interesting dorsal fin with some unique orca rake marks. Over the last 7 years, the scars have slowly started to fade. Check out these photos to see how the dorsal has changed over time!

➡️ Melody was named through the collaborative efforts of scientists and naturalist across the East Coast, initiated by the Center for Coastal Studies and the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale Catalog.

📸 1: NYC0188 in 2026 photographed lunge feediBrian Dohertycontributor Brian Doherty
📸 2: NYC0188 in 2020 photograpAmerican Princess CruisesAmerican Princess Cruises
📸 3: NYC0188 in 2026 photographed by public contributor Brian Doherty.

08/17/2026

Here are a few recent sightings of whales and dolphins from NYC to Long Island and the Jersey Shore! THIS is the Western New York Bight🐋🗽🐬

There are several Humpback Whales in the area, as well as hundreds of Bottlenose Dolphins — some of both being seen even from shore! Thanks to our expansive sighting network, Gotham Whale is working to build a growing understanding of these animals in our local waters, and you can help! 🫵😁

From the South Shore of Long Island to the entire Jersey Shore to the offshore canyons, we want to know if you see a marine mammal here in the New York Bight. In the case of Humpback Whales, we may even be able to tell you which individual animal you saw! 🐳

📸 How to submit? Take a photo and/or video, note the location or coordinates using your phone, and send your sighting to our team at [email protected]

➡️ We love your sightings in our DMs and tags, but in order for us to add your sightings to our database, it needs to be sent to our website or research email above! Once you send it in, still be sure to tag us here!



(See watermarks for specific credits to photographers and companies)

⛴️:
- American Princess Cruises
- Jersey Shore Whale Watch
- Long Island Whale & Seal Watching/ NY Marine Rescue Center

📸 Chris St Lawrence, Steve Abbondondelo, and JSWW

08/14/2026

Dolphins in the Hudson! 🐬🗽🌃

A pod of Tamanend’s Bottlenose Dolphins were spotted swimming just off the coast of lower Manhattan last night by citizen scientist Cait, who is a deckhand aboard Sea the City Hot Tub Boat Cruise!

This part of the Hudson River is actually a tidal estuary and is expected habitat for this species of dolphin, which is known to frequent brackish water estuaries and bays.

In recent years, we have been receiving more and more reports of these dolphins swimming through the busy inner waterways surrounding NYC. More eyes on the water and submissions like these allow us to document their continued use of this urban habitat!

➡️ Have you seen dolphins this summer in NY/NJ? We’d love to add your sightings to our database! Send us a photo, time, and location at [email protected]

🙏 Support Gotham Whale’s mission in local marine mammal research, education, and advocacy by donating HERE: gothamwhale.org/donate

08/13/2026

NYC0313 has been one of our regulars so far for the 2026 season here in the Western New York Bight — an excellent ambassador for their cohort of young Humpback Whales that are discovering the area as a new place to find food.

We have been receiving many reports of this whale from several whale-watching contributors across NY/NJ. Maybe you’ve seen NYC0313?

👀 Bring the whales of NYC home with our new whale tail sticker pack, featuring NYC0313! By buying this exclusive set of stickers featuring whale tails from our NYC Humpback Whale Catalog, you are directly contributing toward our research, education, and advocacy initiatives as a non-profit organization.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/4547155102/celebrate-500-nyc-humpback-whales 🔗

08/10/2026

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!

Do you love whales and live in the NY area? We are in need of volunteers interested in managing tables, showing off our artifacts, and educating the public about whales at specific events in August and September! Contact [email protected] ASAP if you are interested!!

08/09/2026

We’re so excited to share this GREAT NEWS: the Whale Awareness Act has been signed into law! Read more information in this post from our partners at The Nature Conservancy in New York. 🐳

Thanks to Governor Kathy Hochul and bill sponsors Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay NYS District 4!

🐋 GOOD NEWS: Governor Hochul recently signed the Whale Awareness Act into law!

Whale populations are rebounding in New York waters. This comeback comes with new challenges. In our busy waterways, boat strikes are one of the biggest threats whales face today.

That’s why this new law is so important. The Whale Awareness Act requires state agencies to produce and distribute educational materials that help boaters avoid hitting whales and other marine mammals. The law protects captains and passengers, too, since collisions can mean serious injuries and costly damage to boats.

The Nature Conservancy and partners helped advance this effort by highlighting the need for boater education and launching Eyes on the Water: Boating with Whales, a free online course that gives boaters practical guidance for safely navigating whale habitat. The new law builds upon that momentum by expanding awareness and education across New York.

"As our NYC Humpback Whale Catalog passes 500 individual whales documented since 2012, this law is an important step in ensuring a positive future for both whales and boaters in New York waters," said partner organization Gotham Whale.

"Thanks to decades of conservation efforts, New York's coastal waters are alive with marine life, including whales. But with this comeback comes added responsibility," said Carl LoBue, TNC's New York Oceans and Fisheries Director.

Thank you, Governor Kathy Hochul and bill sponsors Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay NYS District 4, for your leadership in making New York's waters safer for people and wildlife alike. 🌊

08/05/2026

Lunge-feeding Humpback Whale off of Rockaway Beach, NYC today! 🐋🗽

Thanks to citizen scientist Jared Jared Douglas Martin who sent us this video from Beach 77th of a Humpback Whales foraging on Atlantic Menhaden! This is not unusual for the area in recent years — Gotham Whale has documented many whales feeding in shallow waters along NYC, Long Island, and Jersey Shore beaches. Please avoid swimming near large schools of bait: there are likely large predators in the area.

If you see a 🐋,🐬, or 🦭 in NY/NJ, our research team wants to know about it! **We may even be able to tell you which individual whale you saw!** Take a photo and record the coordinates, then submit your sighting at gothamwhale.org/wanted or via [email protected]