New York Whales venturing into shipping lanes in search of food

It is the beginning of August and a crowd is gathered on the deck of the American Princess cruise boat waiting for one thing - and they are not disappointed. Suddenly, a juvenile humpback whale, known as NYC0318, bursts through the surface of the water, engulfing thousands of small, oily fish.

- Jenn Thornhill Verma

For passengers onboard the 29-metre (95ft) vessel, the scene is a thrill to watch, in part because it is taking place not far out at sea but just off the coast of Manhattan.

Among those on deck is Chris St Lawrence, the communications director of Gotham Whale, a volunteer-run marine research organisation in the city. He is not just observing the whales, he is watching for danger around them. "When they're feeding, they can get really distracted, and they don't care about boats," he says.

In 2012, when Gotham Whale began tracking humpbacks, its NYC humpback catalogue contained five individuals. Today, it includes 470 whales, mostly transient juveniles such as NYC0318, drawn by rich feeding opportunities.