©Chris St Lawrence
November 12, 2025
Ripples and Refraction
- as seen by -
Chris St Lawrence
A few days of strong Gulf Stream influence brought clear coastal waters to the New York Bight for our whale watch. When we came upon this humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, I could see it hanging out just below the surface before it expelled a held breath from its blowhole.
The whale took several close approaches while the boat was in neutral, giving us good looks. While we were sitting just off the coast of Rockaway, New York, watching this whale, we were also able to spot fish, like menhaden and bluefish, sharks, and fevers of cownose rays, all within sight of New York City.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Check out the scientific and conservation efforts from WCS’s Ocean Giants team that are focused on better protecting humpback whales, critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, endangered fin and sei whales, dolphins, and porpoises throughout the New York Bight, including the Hudson Canyon.
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