A humpback whale was caught on camera in front of the Statue of Liberty and other emblematic places of New York while visiting the port of the city.
The photographs of the marine mammal were captured by photographer Bjoern Kils, 41, who runs a local boat company.
The Atlantic Coast of the United States it’s a migration route for whales. In recent years, more than a dozen have been seen in New York waters, according to state data.
The US Coast Guard confirmed the recent sighting, Reuters news agency reports.
The whale in front of the Statue of Liberty. Photo: Reuters
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But the maritime agency said it would generally only get involved if the animals were threatened.
Kils told the BBC who regularly see other marine species, such as seals, in the harbor, but who is rare let the whales come from the ocean. The last one he saw was in 2016.
An Emmy Award-nominated photographer, Kils is the CEO of New York Media Boats, which offers tours of the city from the water. He also takes photographs of marine fauna and assists scientific researchers with follow-up work.
Kils grabbed a camera and hopped into one of his boats after hearing reports of a whale watching in the area. After a search of the hours, finally saw her near Ellis Island, around 10:00 local time.
“It was exciting to see her,” he told the BBC. “It is definitely one of my best photos.”
At this time of year, the harbor is usually crowded with lacha, a fish that humpback whales feed on. This is what attracted the whale so close to town, Kils suspects.
“Apparently the whale it was only after food… he was eating freely from what we could see, “he said.
The New York City Parks Department says a recent spike in humpback whale sightings may be due to the abundance of food sources, including menhaden, and improvements in local water quality.
With information from BBC News
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