People often pay to go on whale watching tours in hopes of mayyyyybe catching a single glimpse of a tail splashing the water, if they’re lucky. Sometimes, even that’s enough excitement. Just the smallest glimpse of one of the world’s largest species. There’s something powerful about feeling that small and insignificant.
On August 13, 2022 however, folks in New York City got the whale watching cruise of a lifetime as they were able to witness not one, not two, but NINE whales swimming in the harbor. A remarkable sight that has only become more common as whale populations in the harbor have grown dramatically since.
While onboard a tour with American Princess Cruises, Celia Ackerman, who works as a naturalist for the company, captured multiple breathtaking photos of the creatures with a view of New York’s skyline as the backdrop.
Here’s just one of the beauties:
Ackerman is also a research associate for Gotham Whale, a marine mammal research, education and advocacy organization. Gotham Whale tweeted the images not only to let others join in on nature’s spectacle, but also to raise awareness and avoid potential collisions.
“Amazing day to say the least,” Gotham Whale’s caption read.
Why New York’s waters are suddenly full of whales
This once-in-a-lifetime sighting might be less of a miracle and more a result of concerted efforts to clean New York’s waters. Back in 2019, the New York Post cited a study that showed New York’s harbors were the purest they’ve been in nearly 110 years, not since “Albert Einstein had just published his theory of relativity,” according to the Post article. This was largely due to the Clean Water Act of 1972, in addition to volunteer environmental groups, according to the article.
Cleaner water means more fish, and more fish means a whale buffet. Not to mention some amazing photos:
“Something else to make your heart happy!” someone commented alongside a blue whale emoji.
Humpbacks are one of the great comeback stories
Humpback whales, in particular, are an amazing conservation success story. In the 1940s, when whaling oversight first began, humpbacks were nearly extinct. Now they’re thriving.
This is the stuff fairy tales are made of y’all.
Whales used to pass through New York harbor on their way to more fertile feeding grounds, but the water cleanup efforts have motivated them to stick around and feed. That’s how you get incredible sights like this.
Hands down, most successful whale watching cruise ever. No question.
These whales gave a water show and everything (see below):
There’s even a video of three breaching whales from the same day, shared by science and health reporter Aaron Tremper.
“I would’ve been screaming. This is so magical!” wrote one person.
Of course, the new-and-improved coastline (and all the fish that comes with it) is not only attracting whales. On August 8, 2022, two sharks were spotted off a beach in Queens, New York. And there were 15 shark sightings in one day the previous week, according to ABC7 New York. However, shark attacks are still quite rare.
I know what you’re thinking: where are the dolphins?! Don’t worry, Ackerman found some of those, too.
Like this Clymene dolphin below, whose most well-known party trick is spinning while jumping out of the water.
These images come as a respite after the news that Freya, a walrus in Norway who captured hearts by sunbathing in various boats, was euthanized by authorities after being declared a “threat to human safety.” Her death was considered by many to be an avoidable act of cruelty, brought on by human negligence. However, the walrus named after a Norse goddess of love aptly still commands reverence by her followers, who have started a fundraiser to erect a statue in her honor.
Here is where things stand today
Since these photos surfaced in 2022, the whale population in New York has continued to grow. Now, it’s so big that officials are growing worried over whale-ship collisions. Efforts to expand vessel speed limits have faced setbacks, in January 2025, NOAA withdrew proposed expansions that would have extended year-round protections. Meanwhile, the whale population continues to grow, with Gotham Whale’s catalog now documenting nearly 500 humpback whales off the coast as of 2025.
We don’t always do right by our animal friends. But when we do, it shows. New York’s impromptu whale party is literal living proof of that. Finally, some good news about growing traffic!
This article first appeared four years ago. It has been updated.
