Information on Recent Local Whale Sightings

July 23, 2024 – Portsmouth made international news today when a whale breached onto a small fishing boat off the New Hampshire coast. Thankfully, the two people onboard were rescued by nearby boaters. The whale, so far, appears to be ok. We will be on the lookout for the whale in the coming weeks in the hope of assessing its condition after this dramatic encounter. It is possible this is the same whale spotted in the Piscataqua River over the weekend and earlier in July.

Here’s a statement from Dianna Schulte, our co-founder and Director of Research, about the incident:

‼️ Please Give Whales Space ‼️

It’s feeding season for many large whales, like humpbacks, who don’t eat during their winter breeding season in the Caribbean. This whale wasn’t “angry”—it was hungry. Boaters happened to be in the area at the same time. If you see a whale, don’t approach it or leave your fishing line in the water. Lines can entangle whales, and whales can damage your boat.

🔎 Help Us Identify This Whale 🐋

If you have photos or videos of a humpback whale seen on July 23 off Rye Beach, please send them to dianna@blueoceansociety.org. This might be the same whale feeding in the Piscataqua River recently. Thank you!

There’s a lot of information out there, and not all of it is accurate. Please use us as a resource and ask any questions you have about these sightings!

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