NEW YORK: Humpback Whale Spotted in the Hudson River

A humpback whale was spotted swimming in New York City's Hudson River on Thursday, drawing attention from onlookers and marine-mammal researchers.

Gotham Whale, a nonprofit group that tracks whales in New York waters, identified the animal as a humpback and asked people to share photographs and information to help determine its identity and size.

Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal shared a photograph taken Thursday morning and provided by the group. Video posted by Gotham Whale showed the whale rolling at the surface and spraying water from its blowhole as people watched nearby.

The whale was still in the river by early afternoon, according to the reporting. Its sex and whether it was traveling alone were not known. The sighting does not establish its current location later in the day.

Humpback sightings in New York waters have become more common in recent years. The animals feed on schools of small fish off the coast before migrating toward warmer waters for winter.

Busy waterways also pose hazards, including vessel traffic. The sighting offered a close view of a large marine mammal in the city, but it also brought renewed attention to the risks whales face near shipping routes.