A humpback whale ready for its closeup on Tuesday frolicked in front of the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center and other iconic sights off New York Harbor.
“The whale just blew about 1,000 feet [305m] off my bow,” Bjoern Kils, 41, said, as he snapped photographs of the creature that he estimated to be about 12m long.
The US Coast Guard confirmed reports of the sighting, but said that it would get involved only if the whale became entangled or otherwise became endangered.
Photo: Reuters / Bjoern Kils / New York Media Boat
“We’re aware, but it’s pretty normal that we get whales out there,” US Coast Guard Petty Officer Anthony Pappaly said.
In recent years, more than a dozen humpback whales have been detected in New York waters, state data showed, with some as close to shore as 500m from the beach in Rockaway, Queens.
Kils, whose New York Media Boat transports news crews and magazine photographers, said that he spotted the whale at about 10am near Ellis Island.
He immediately tried to warn other vessels to give it wide berth in the hope that it might swim safely through the 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.
“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 cellphone from his boat.
For hours, the whale surfaced every minute or so for a breath, making its way past New York’s shoreline.
“As we were passing the Statue of Liberty, it flung its tail out of the water — twice,” Kils said.
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