According to a study co-authored by Rutgers University, Gotham Whale, the Center for Coastal Studies, and 21 other organizations in the western North Atlantic, humpback whales spotted along the Jersey Shore and the waters off New York often stay for an extended period of time and return year after year.
New Jersey added humpbacks to their endangered species list in 1973. Although their numbers have rebounded better than some other whale species, they have not returned to their pre-whaling level. Despite the ban on hunting, humpbacks still face a number of threats, all of which are caused by humans.
Researchers found that 58% of whales spotted in the coastal area between Long Island and the New Jersey coast were seen more than once, either within the same year or between years. The average length of stay was 37.6 days. This suggests that humpback whales exhibit extended occupancy in specifically the area extending east to Fire Island, New York and south to Manasquan Inlet, New Jersey, and including the New York-New Jersey harbor estuary. 31% were likely to return from one year to the next.
Why they stay is not known for certain but it may be related to the consistent availability of a prey species called Atlantic menhaden. These commercially fished species have been increasing in abundance in the past decade.
Information on humpback whales in NJ
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| Humpback whale is seen in the Hudson River (Photo: Danielle Brown, Rutgers University/Gotham Whale) |
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