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] 

NYC0012 Humpback Whale off Rockaway Peninsula and Atlantic Beach

August 21, 2014
Aug 22, 2014 Lunging Humpback and a small Pod of Dolphins playing on the chop of the 2-4-foot waves off Rockaway Peninsula. We spotted the whale early, luckily it was feeding and just started to. Gotham Whale has seen this whale before this year and last, GW cataloged this Whale as NYC0012. This whale today did some surface, lunge feeding along wi...
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NYC0004 Fluke shots off Rockaway on the American Princess with Gotham Whale

August 20, 2014
We met up with a Humpback Whale Gotham Whale has cataloged as NYC0004 both Wednesday (8-20) and Thursday (8-21) this week on the American Princess. Today 8-21-14 we saw whale #04 early like 20 minutes into the Whale Watch and had a full 2 1/2 hours with him NYC0004! He was surface feeding sending many schools of Bunker into freak-out mode which is...
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NYC0004 Fluke Shots

August 19, 2014
We (Gotham Whale on the American Princess) were straight off the Verrazano bridge about 12 miles where the water turns from a plankton filled green/brown to an amazing deep blue to that Caribbean green that is so awesome to see. We came upon a whale Gotham Whale has cataloged as NYC0004. We almost passed him but someone in the back of the American...
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NYC0012 Humpback Whale Back in town

August 14, 2014
This is very interesting and exciting news on a Humpback Whale seen in NYC waters last year. Whale NYC#12 was photographed by Artie Raslich off Rockaway Peninsula late Sept. 2013. August 3rd, 2014, it was photographed off Montauk by Artie Kopelman of CRESLI. Gotham Whale had not seen the whale NYC0012 in the NYC waters in 2014. Well guess who's ba...
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NYC0011 (Jerry the Whale) off Rockaway N.Y.

July 31, 2014
Went Whale Watching today (on Jerry's Garcia's Birthday) and there's a Whale I call Jerry. Last time I saw Jerry (the Whale) was Oct 5th, 2013. I always wonder when and if I will see Jerry the Whale again. We see no whales all day, Last 20-30 minutes of the Whale watch - WE SEE JERRY off in the distance breaching, pectoral fin slapping, splashing a...
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NYC0010 Humpback Whale Watching in the NY Bight.

July 16, 2014
Bright sunny day, ocean surface was glassy with 2-4-foot swells. 60+ people out with Gotham Whale on the American Princess Whale and Dolphin tour. Came upon a very active Humpback feeding doing some incredible lunges. Dolphin were everywhere grabbing up as much Bunker they can get. I saw a few sights I normally do not get a chance to observe. Lots...
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NYC0012 Humpback Whale stalking me!

October 02, 2013
These are sent from a very nice person who was out fishing when the whales came by! The Whale was moving very slowly, I am guessing it was sleeping, day dreaming or just goofing off?? It was heading right for me-- I could not motor forward or back, just had to stay in neutral and sit tight. I went to the wheel and sounded the horn a few times. The...
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