Photo by Andrés Javier.
While we’re all stuck inside, animals have been frolicking, including some that don’t come around very often.
The most dramatic of these is a humpback whale that has now been spotted by several people in the Hudson River, including next to the Upper West Side. Twitter user Jack W. took a photo of a whale he saw at 72nd Street. It’s relatively small in the image below.
Humpback whale around 7:30 today near 72nd. pic.twitter.com/2r5mwHrdBZ
— Jack W (@jrwoodhull) December 9, 2020
It may have heard about the opening of Pastrami Queen, because it was less than one nautical mile away, near the end of the line for $4.99 sandwiches.
On Monday, Andres Javier also saw the whale around Hell’s Kitchen and took the video below. You can even see it clearing its blowhole!
for those requesting our 🗽🐋video without the text! pic.twitter.com/DxJF9WuKQQ
— Andrés (@AndresJavierNYC) December 8, 2020
Whales have been seen in the Hudson before, but this whale may have some extra room these days because “with COVID that there’s not much boat traffic out here,” one boat captain told Reuters.
Maybe this is why the water has been tasting weird again these days??
Anybody else on the UWS experiencing this?
+1
There’s a reddit discussion on the same topic (in the UES), which you can google. Seems to be a borough- (and maybe city-) wide issue. People are explaining it with changes/mixing of the source reservoirs and potentially more organic matter in the water.
Thank you for your very helpful comment, Peter. I have found the Reddit site, and include the link below.
I suppose the water is safe to drink (?) But, until the test results from my own faucets come back, I’m drinking bottled water. Thanks again.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/k8ggql/does_manhattans_ues_water_taste_strange/
Yes, indeed! My water has a moldy taste.
It was tested this morning, and I will get the results tomorrow.
Here we go again, yes the water does have a different taste.
Stop drinking from the toilet.
Yes, my water has been tasting different and not in a good way. I
You drink water from the Hudson River?
Yes, water at 72nd St and 85th St apartments tastes odd and musty. Can anyone explain or inquire into source?
A whale in the Hudson has nothing to do with the bad taste of your water! In fact, seeing a whale in these waters means the water is cleaner than normal.
Yes. The water in my bathroom particularly smells and tastes awful.
Huh?
This made my day! How great to see nature coming back to the Hudson!
Agreed about water taste on 97th Street and WEA
thank you. That was magnificent
Star Trek IV, best ST movie ever made.
Only hope it knows the way back out. One of nature’s gifts.
So many thanks to Andres Javier. What an ethereal, other-worldly video. Whales seem so calm and serene. A beautiful video!
Wonderful!!. The Hudson happens to be one of our estuaries. Having a humpback whale sighting is certainly informational.
Maybe someone should start to plan a whale watch for the Hudson River?
Added cachet for the UWS, new employment opportunities too.
It’s about time we had some win/wins…
I live on the east river ..hope he takes a swim around the battery and up here before he leaves the area! I jus love it!
One of the fun facts you can lean in our neighborhood treasure AMNH is that whales evolved from land animals. That’s why they don’t have gills. Nostrils migrated to the top of their heads. Feet became flippers.
And we thought the Barred Owl in Riverside Park at 114th St was something cool to see! Hope springs eternal on the UWS!
Astonishing! From one who grew up on 86th St. near Riverside Drive. We thought squirrels were pretty exotic back then in the 40’s.
Brilliant video coverage. Thanks for sharing. Might its presence have something to do with water temperature in its more natural habitats?
Wow what a great moment in time. Thank you.
Fantastic video of the whale although I would enjoy it more if it were set to different music. Nothing to do with the whale, but I have noticed an odd smell to our water on 90th and Riverside.
This was literally a plot point in ‘Avengers: Endgame’. With half as much human activity (and half as many humans…), Captain America sees whales when entering the city:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ze1bHnqOt0
This whale is actually known to local marine scientists and is tagged whale #89. He’s been sighted around here before in 2018 and along the Rockaways – just another New Yorker looking for food! The only danger are the ships.