This is my personal blog, I write about what I see and experience while I am out whale watching. I am far from a writer but know my way around the ocean and a camera. My focus is documenting Humpback Whales here in the waters of NYC, LI and North NJ also known as the Western New York Bight.
I work for Gotham Whale as their official photographer and Photo Curator of the NYC Humpback Whale Catalog (NYCHWC). As Photo Curator, I focus on markings on the fluke or other areas. I match up the flukes and markings to the whales we have in the NYCHWC. When a humpback whale photo has no match to the NYCHWC, a number is assigned (example NYC00011) and that whale is now in the catalog. If it's a match, we have a returning Humpback Whale to the Western Bight. I also am responsible for GW’s facebook page and share social media responsibilities on Twitter and Instagram.
I go out on a few boats to get these photos. One boat, I own, is named the “SHIP OF FOOLS” (SOF) and I run out of Bay Park, East Rockaway N.Y. The other boat is the famous American Princess (AP) with Gotham Whale (GW) out of Riis Landing in Queens N.Y. The AP is NYC's only whale watching boat and I can't stress this enough...you must get on the AP for a NYC whale watch, it is incredible!
Follow me on facebook, Instagram, Twitter and you can email me at [email protected]
Sunday, June 4rd 2017 Three Humpbacks off Sandy Hook, NJ.
June 05, 2017
Saturday, June 4th 2017 th. Wave Heights - 1ft, Water Temp - 61, Wind – South East, Speed – light, Air Temp 60. Cloud Cover – Heavy.
Whales seen – THREE Humpback Whales
It was nice to have a group of photographers out on the American Princess (AP) with Gotham Whale (GW) from the “Long Island Sun Chasers” Facebook group. I love seeing all the diff...
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Saturday, June 3rd 2017 Three Humpbacks off rockaway
June 04, 2017
Saturday June 3 rd 2017 th. Wave Heights - 1-2ft, Water Temp - 60, Wind – North-West, Speed – 12-20 mph, Air Temp 74. Cloud Cover – Moderate. Water was a beautiful Light green and very clear!
Whales seen – THREE Humpback Whales.
It was a good whale watch on the American Princess with Gotham Whale. WOW…The ocean was so beautiful on this day it was...
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Sunday, May 28th 2017. Whale Watch on the American Pincess with Gotham Whale - 4 Whales.
May 30, 2017
Sunday, May 28 th. Wave Heights - 1-2ft, Water Temp - 57, Wind - East South East, Speed – 9-16mph, Air Temp 64. Cloud Cover - Moderate to heavy. Whales seen – FOUR Humpback Whales.
Great crowd on the American Princess with Gotham Whale, all are excited and ready for an epic Whale Watch. Paul L Sieswerda (founder of GW) is the naturalist on board...
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Saturday May, 27th 2017 Whale Watch on the AP with GW.
May 28, 2017
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Whale Watch on the American Princess with Gotham Whale Saturday May, 27th 2017.
Wave Heights - 1-3ft, Water Temp - 57, Air Temp 66, Wind Speed - Light variable then gusty out of the South. Whales seen - TWO Humpback Whales both not identified.
The AP pushed off at 1pm this day, the boat was full and all eyes on the water. We have been informed th...
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Jones Beach Air Show wide shots
May 27, 2017
The Jones Beach Bethpage Air Show on the Memorial Day weekend is the official kickoff for Summer here on Long Island. I always go to the practice run on the Friday before the long weekend. Its the same show on Saturday and Sunday but with less crowds, easy parking and quick exit what more could you ask for!
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Sunday, May 21st 2017 Whale Watch on the AP with Gotham Whale. Meet NYC0056
May 25, 2017
It' s Sunday May 21 st 2017. I am on the American Princess with Gotham Whale. Conditions are good, seas are running 1ft-2ft, Air temp 65 degrees, Water Temp 55 degrees, winds are 10-20 variable.
Boat's filled, it's noon and we charge out of Breezy looking for whales, dolphins or anything that we can find. We get to the area where we start to see H...
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Noreaster floods Bay Park Streets
January 27, 2017
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Bay park at high tide was at 5:11am photos taken at 6am on 1-24-16. Didn't go far because I couldn't, so here is what it looked like from East Blvd and Marjorie lane in Bay Park. It looks like the storm surge was about 3-3 1/2 feet.
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Jerry the whale is back in town
July 29, 2015
Jerry the whale is back in town and right on time!!! Jerry is the Humpback whale in the iconic Empire State building picture with the Humpback Whale spyhopping in front of it, he or she is kinda famous. It's the 4th year in a row Gotham Whale has seen Jerry and it's always an awesome sight. Jerry's official name is NYC0011 in the Gotham Whale Humpb...
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Entangled Whale
July 09, 2015
PLEASE SHARE this information with anyone who is on the waters of NYC, Western Nassau and North Jersey.
We have a an entangled Humpback whale in our area. The American Princess Cruises (Capt Tom) with Gotham Whale came across this whale on July 9, 2015. The Humpback is in good health and is thought to be in no immediate danger. It is breathing, sw...
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20 Dolphins with Calves off Rockaway
July 08, 2015
Ran into a small pod of dolphins with calves out of Rockaway. No Humpback Whales today- I think they were there and we just missed seeing them, some days you see 5 some days you see none! Nice day out on the waters with Gotham Whale on the American Princess, 3-4 light winds and the Bunker are balling up big time now.
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5 Humpbacks, 30 Dolphins and a Turtle
July 01, 2015
Commence Lunge feeding! NOW it is starting to get interesting here in/on the NYC waters. Today we saw 5 Humpbacks, 30 Dolphins and a Turtle (what kind is unknown). The Bunker are balling up and when this happens, Humpbacks Lunge feed and that’s what whale watching in NY is all about! There were blows in every direction you looked, near and far, all...
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A Humpback in Ambrose
June 26, 2015
Ocean was near flat and light winds, the water has been this tropical Green and clear like Miami waters, it’s nice to see. Bunker is starting to come in now and the waters as of today at Ambrose Channel is 68. Ran into a big Humpback Whale, it did a breach and then the rest was uneventful. It mostly did a few dives and some logging, but I did get a...
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150+ Bottlenose Dolphins and an Unidentified Humpback
June 25, 2015
Was out on the SHIP OF FOOLS and encountered a massive Bottlenose Dolphin Pod and an unidentified Humpback Whale south of Fort Tilden along with the American Princess. I don't usually go that far west when I am on my boat, but saw the action and the ocean was somewhat calm, so why not! In the Bottlenose Dolphins pods were MANY baby dolphins in the...
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One unidentified Humpback Whale and 200+ Bottlenose Dolphins with many calves.
June 22, 2015
Headed down south off Sea Bright NJ. Came upon many small pods of Bottlenose Dolphins with their calves. They were spread out in all directions and were staying around the American Princess. Stayed with them for a while and headed back to the channel to see if we can connect to a Humpback Whale. It's not over until it's over and in the last moment...
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5 Humpback Whales and 150 Dolphins
June 19, 2015
Got a report of a breaching whale off Sea Bright NJ. The American Princess with Gotham Whale went down to check it out. We ran into a Thresher beating up some bunker then headed down off North Jersey. Saw the Humpback breaching, tail slapping and Pectoral fin slapping, commonly referred to as “pec slapping," but didn't meet up because that whale wa...
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© Artie Raslich Photography