Danielle Brown, Gotham Whale’s director of research, theorized the whale braved the heavy traffic of the East River to hunt down a meal in the channel, where Atlantic menhaden, a favorite snack for humpbacks, is known to flourish.

People on the Brooklyn shore got a glimpse of the whale flashing its tail out of the water, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, which received multiple reports from spectators

A whale was spotted in the East River on Monday near the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, flashing its tail out of the water just close enough for people on the Brooklyn shore to get a peek, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, which received multiple reports of the underwater mammal.

New York City onlookers were surprised on Monday when a whale was spotted swimming under the Williamsburg Bridge on Monday, emerging from the surface.