Dodging New York traffic: hundreds of humpback whaless on a collision course with ships
It is the beginning of August and a crowd is gathered on the deck of the American Princess cruise boat waiting for one thing – and they are not disappointed. Suddenly, a juvenile humpback whale, known as NYC0318 in local records, bursts through the surface of the water, engulfing thousands of small, oily fish.For those onboard the 29-metre (95ft) vessel, the scene is a thrill to watch, in part because it is taking place not far out at sea but just off the coast of Manhattan, New York. Among the tourists watching is Chris St Lawrence, a naturalist and the communications director of Gotham Whale, a volunteer-run marine research organisation in the city. He is not just looking out for the whales, he is watching for danger around them.“When they’re feeding, they can get really distracted, and they don’t care about boats,” he says.Chris St Lawrence of Gotham Whale, which tracks whales and other marine mammals off New York and New Jersey. Photograph: Lauren Owens LambertWhen Gotham Whale began tracking humpbacks in 2012, its NYC humpback catalogue contained just five individuals. Today, it includes 470 whales – mostly transient juveniles such as NYC0318 drawn by the rich feeding opportunities of the New York Bight. But with the hunt for such bounty comes a growing problem.What was once a marine highway connecting southern breeding grounds to northern feeding areas has, since 2010, become a regular foraging destination, putting humpbacks on a collision course with maritime traffic.Cargo vessels, tankers, cruise ships, fishing boats and recreational craft all cross humpback feeding grounds in the New York Bight – an area roughly the size of Switzerland, stretching from southern New Jersey to eastern Long Island and offshore to the Hudson Canyon, a deep submarine valley.Danielle Brown, research director at Gotham Whale, says: “I don’t think people realise they are out there, and these shipping companies certainly don’t expect to see them.”Lesley Thorne, a marine scientist at Stony Brook University on Long Island, says several factors are converging dangerously: recovering humpback populations, potential climate-related shifts in their food, and whales venturing into shipping corridors to feed. “It is this perfect storm of events,” she says.Since the end of commercial whaling, humpbacks have become a conservation success story. In 2016, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) delisted the whales in New York waters (considered as part of the West Indies population) under the Endangered Species Act.But that same year, large whale strandings along the US east coast began to rise, prompting Noaa to declare an Unusual Mortality Event in 2017 that remains open today.Where whales once just passed through the waters off New York, they are increasingly venturing into the busy shipping lanes to feed. Photograph: Chris St Lawrence/gothamwhale.orgThorne’s 2024 research found vessel strikes to be the main cause, although fishing gear entanglements played a part.The New York Bight hosts an extraordinary array of endangered whales: blue, fin, sei, sperm and North Atlantic right whales. In 2024, researchers documented critically endangered North Atlantic right whales near Hudson Canyon, close to busy shipping lanes.In May that year, a cruise ship arrived at a New York port with a dead endangered sei whale draped on its bow. The common draw is food, but humpback feeding behaviour compounds the risk.The combination of surface feeding and shallow waters likely makes them more vulnerable to vessel strikesLesley Thorne, Stony Brook University“We see surface aggregations of menhaden [herring-like fish] that are really close to shore, and we have almost exclusively juvenile whales feeding in these really nearshore waters, as shallow as 15ft [5 metres] of water,” says Thorne. “The combination of surface feeding and shallow waters likely makes them more vulnerable to vessel strikes.”Gotham Whale’s research documents the toll, showing whales with vessel strike scars and deep propeller wounds. One case this year involved a healthy humpback observed one day bearing fresh strike injuries only days later in the same area.As one of the world’s fastest-warming ocean regions, changing conditions may be drawing more whales closer to shore to feed.The endangered sei whale that was found dead on the bow of a cruise ship arriving in New York last year. Photograph: Atlantic Marine Conservation SocietyJanet Coit, who was Noaa’s assistant administrator for fisheries under the Biden administration, says: “The scientists out of our Northeast Fisheries Science Center were clear that warming waters are affecting the productivity of the ocean and bringing more whales in closer to shore, which is causing greater interactions with vessels and more vessel strikes.”The remedy – to reroute vessels or slow them down – is clear but not easily achieved. “With three shipping lanes into New York, there is no opportunity to reroute vessels,” says Samantha Rosen, a spokesperson for the New York State environmental conservation department.Studies show that reducing ship speeds to 10 knots (12mph) decreases strike likelihood and lethality. Currently, vessels 20 metres or longer must travel no faster than 10 knots from January to May in seasonal management areas, including around major ports. However, in January 2025, the Noaa withdrew proposed vessel speed rule expansions that would have better protected large whales year-round by expanding protections to larger areas, longer time periods and smaller vessels.The revisions, aimed at reducing risks to right whales, would also have helped other large whales, says Thorne. But resistance from mariners and lawmakers has hindered Noaa’s proposal, says Coit. Meanwhile, voluntary slowdowns triggered when whales are detected have limited effectiveness.The regulatory setback coincides with significant cuts to Noaa’s funding, staffing and climate research programmes since January.When the US enacted wildlife protection laws in the 1970s, Coit says there was a moral ethic around saving whales and conservation. “I’m concerned that this ethic is not underpinning our values any more,” she says.“If people want to save the whales, they are going to have to change their behaviour.”
Humpbacks are thriving in the warm waters off the coast of Manhattan but maritime restrictions have not kept paceIt is the beginning of August and a crowd is gathered on the deck of the American Princess cruise boat waiting for one thing – and they are not disappointed. Suddenly, a juvenile humpback whale, known as NYC0318 in local records, bursts through the surface of the water, engulfing thousands of small, oily fish.For those onboard the 29-metre (95ft) vessel, the scene is a thrill to watch, in part because it is taking place not far out at sea but just off the coast of Manhattan, New York. Among the tourists watching is Chris St Lawrence, a naturalist and the communications director of Gotham Whale, a volunteer-run marine research organisation in the city. He is not just looking out for the whales, he is watching for danger around them. Continue reading...
It is the beginning of August and a crowd is gathered on the deck of the American Princess cruise boat waiting for one thing – and they are not disappointed. Suddenly, a juvenile humpback whale, known as NYC0318 in local records, bursts through the surface of the water, engulfing thousands of small, oily fish.
For those onboard the 29-metre (95ft) vessel, the scene is a thrill to watch, in part because it is taking place not far out at sea but just off the coast of Manhattan, New York. Among the tourists watching is Chris St Lawrence, a naturalist and the communications director of Gotham Whale, a volunteer-run marine research organisation in the city. He is not just looking out for the whales, he is watching for danger around them.
“When they’re feeding, they can get really distracted, and they don’t care about boats,” he says.
When Gotham Whale began tracking humpbacks in 2012, its NYC humpback catalogue contained just five individuals. Today, it includes 470 whales – mostly transient juveniles such as NYC0318 drawn by the rich feeding opportunities of the New York Bight. But with the hunt for such bounty comes a growing problem.
What was once a marine highway connecting southern breeding grounds to northern feeding areas has, since 2010, become a regular foraging destination, putting humpbacks on a collision course with maritime traffic.
Cargo vessels, tankers, cruise ships, fishing boats and recreational craft all cross humpback feeding grounds in the New York Bight – an area roughly the size of Switzerland, stretching from southern New Jersey to eastern Long Island and offshore to the Hudson Canyon, a deep submarine valley.
Danielle Brown, research director at Gotham Whale, says: “I don’t think people realise they are out there, and these shipping companies certainly don’t expect to see them.”
Lesley Thorne, a marine scientist at Stony Brook University on Long Island, says several factors are converging dangerously: recovering humpback populations, potential climate-related shifts in their food, and whales venturing into shipping corridors to feed. “It is this perfect storm of events,” she says.
Since the end of commercial whaling, humpbacks have become a conservation success story. In 2016, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) delisted the whales in New York waters (considered as part of the West Indies population) under the Endangered Species Act.
But that same year, large whale strandings along the US east coast began to rise, prompting Noaa to declare an Unusual Mortality Event in 2017 that remains open today.
Thorne’s 2024 research found vessel strikes to be the main cause, although fishing gear entanglements played a part.
The New York Bight hosts an extraordinary array of endangered whales: blue, fin, sei, sperm and North Atlantic right whales. In 2024, researchers documented critically endangered North Atlantic right whales near Hudson Canyon, close to busy shipping lanes.
In May that year, a cruise ship arrived at a New York port with a dead endangered sei whale draped on its bow. The common draw is food, but humpback feeding behaviour compounds the risk.
“We see surface aggregations of menhaden [herring-like fish] that are really close to shore, and we have almost exclusively juvenile whales feeding in these really nearshore waters, as shallow as 15ft [5 metres] of water,” says Thorne. “The combination of surface feeding and shallow waters likely makes them more vulnerable to vessel strikes.”
Gotham Whale’s research documents the toll, showing whales with vessel strike scars and deep propeller wounds. One case this year involved a healthy humpback observed one day bearing fresh strike injuries only days later in the same area.
As one of the world’s fastest-warming ocean regions, changing conditions may be drawing more whales closer to shore to feed.
Janet Coit, who was Noaa’s assistant administrator for fisheries under the Biden administration, says: “The scientists out of our Northeast Fisheries Science Center were clear that warming waters are affecting the productivity of the ocean and bringing more whales in closer to shore, which is causing greater interactions with vessels and more vessel strikes.”
The remedy – to reroute vessels or slow them down – is clear but not easily achieved. “With three shipping lanes into New York, there is no opportunity to reroute vessels,” says Samantha Rosen, a spokesperson for the New York State environmental conservation department.
Studies show that reducing ship speeds to 10 knots (12mph) decreases strike likelihood and lethality. Currently, vessels 20 metres or longer must travel no faster than 10 knots from January to May in seasonal management areas, including around major ports. However, in January 2025, the Noaa withdrew proposed vessel speed rule expansions that would have better protected large whales year-round by expanding protections to larger areas, longer time periods and smaller vessels.
The revisions, aimed at reducing risks to right whales, would also have helped other large whales, says Thorne. But resistance from mariners and lawmakers has hindered Noaa’s proposal, says Coit. Meanwhile, voluntary slowdowns triggered when whales are detected have limited effectiveness.
The regulatory setback coincides with significant cuts to Noaa’s funding, staffing and climate research programmes since January.
When the US enacted wildlife protection laws in the 1970s, Coit says there was a moral ethic around saving whales and conservation. “I’m concerned that this ethic is not underpinning our values any more,” she says.
“If people want to save the whales, they are going to have to change their behaviour.”