Captain Steve Rauchut was returning from a fishing trip in the East Rockaway Inlet Wednesday when he snapped the above photo of Humpback Whales feeding just off of Far Rockaway, Queens. He saw three at a time, and estimates there were three to five whales total.
“It was 30 feet or less that they were swimming in,” Rauchut told ANIMAL. “There are just so many fish that they were feeding on; there are schools and schools of bunker.”
Environmental scientist Caterina Panzeca told CBS News the whales spotted off the Rockaways were likely headed toward the Caribbean in search of warm water.
(Photo: Steve Rauchut)
