Wings Over Waves: The Fascinating Connection Between Birds, Whales, and the New York Bight

Written by James Falletti March 11, 2025

If you’ve ever ventured out onto the waters of the New York Bight, you may have witnessed an extraordinary sight—birds and whales converging in a shared space, their movements intertwined in a dynamic and vital ecological dance. At first glance, it may seem like simple coexistence, but in reality, these species are intricately linked, their interactions revealing the health and complexity of the marine ecosystem.

The New York Bight is a coastal region of the Atlantic Ocean off the shores of New York and New Jersey. The term "bight" refers to a broad, shallow bend in the coastline, and in this case, it describes the curved stretch of ocean between Cape May, New Jersey, and Montauk Point, Long Island. This region is ecologically significant, serving as a major feeding and migration corridor for marine life, including whales, dolphins, sharks, and seabirds. Decades of conservation efforts and improved water quality have contributed to the resurgence of marine wildlife in the area, making it a prime location for whale watching and birding.

A critical factor in this resurgence is the increasing stock of Atlantic menhaden, commonly known as "bunker." These small, oily fish form the foundation of the marine food web, providing nourishment for both whales and seabirds. Conservation measures, including stricter fishing regulations, have allowed menhaden populations to rebound, ensuring a more stable food supply for predators. As the number of bunker increases, so too do the opportunities for whales to engage in surface feeding, creating a spectacle that seabirds eagerly exploit.

Seabirds such as gannets, shearwaters, and gulls are often seen diving and swooping over feeding whales. This behavior is no coincidence—when whales, particularly humpbacks, lunge-feed on baitfish, they drive schools of fish toward the surface, offering an easy meal for the birds above. This interdependent relationship exemplifies the intricate connections that sustain marine ecosystems. The presence of both whales and seabirds in large numbers is a strong indicator of a thriving ocean, rich in biodiversity and nutrients.

While the terms seabirds and pelagic birds are often used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings. Seabirds encompass a broad range of species that depend on the ocean for survival, including gulls, terns, puffins, and cormorants. Pelagic birds, however, represent a specialized subset of seabirds that spend the majority of their lives over open water, only coming to land to breed. Shearwaters, petrels, and albatrosses are among these remarkable long-distance travelers, expertly adapted to life on the vast ocean, often covering thousands of miles on wind currents with minimal effort.

The revival of marine life in the New York Bight is a testament to successful conservation efforts, yet challenges remain. Pollution, ship strikes, and entanglement in fishing gear pose significant threats to whales, while seabirds face habitat loss and shifting fish populations due to climate change. Observing the interactions between birds and whales provides crucial insights into the health of the ocean. Changes in seabird distribution or declines in whale sightings may serve as early warning signs of underlying environmental shifts, warranting further investigation.

Education plays a vital role in promoting awareness and fostering a deeper appreciation for marine ecosystems. By integrating lessons on ocean life into school curricula, we can inspire the next generation of conservationists. Phenomenon-based learning (PBL) is a particularly effective approach, encouraging students to explore real-world marine events, such as whale migrations or seabird feeding behaviors, as entry points for deeper inquiry. Instead of learning isolated facts, students draw connections across multiple disciplines—biology, geography, physics, and even social sciences—unraveling the complexities of these natural occurrences through investigation and discovery.

Outdoor classrooms provide invaluable opportunities for hands-on learning, allowing students to engage directly with the environment. Field trips to coastal areas, participation in citizen science initiatives, and interactive STEM-based projects enable students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. By tracking bird populations, analyzing water quality, and studying marine biodiversity, young learners gain practical experience while cultivating a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship.

Organizations like Gotham Whale offer citizen science programs that welcome participation from people of all ages, including K-12 students. While Gotham Whale’s citizen science efforts focus solely on whales, dolphins, and occasionally seals in the New York Bight and surrounding areas, their onboard naturalists play a crucial role in observing and reporting marine mammal sightings. Periodically, during pelagic expeditions, organizations such as Paulagic Birding and members of New Jersey Audubon contribute their expertise to bird sightings and monitoring efforts. These collaborations help provide a broader picture of the region’s rich biodiversity while ensuring that data collection remains accurate and within each organization’s scope.

Marine education is about more than just studying individual species—it’s about embracing the interconnected web of life that sustains them. Through engaging and innovative pedagogical approaches, educators can inspire students to become active participants in conservation. Hands-on fieldwork, interdisciplinary projects, and collaborative discussions create an immersive learning experience that not only educates but empowers students to take action in protecting our oceans.

Beyond formal education, photography plays a crucial role in documenting and understanding marine wildlife. Capturing images of birds and whales offers more than just aesthetic value—it provides tangible records of species presence, behaviors, and habitat changes over time. Citizen scientists who photograph marine life contribute invaluable data to researchers studying population dynamics and environmental shifts. Moreover, visual storytelling through photography fosters public engagement, inspiring others to appreciate and protect the natural world.

Whether you’re scanning the horizon from shore, embarking on a whale-watching tour, or simply observing from a fishing boat, you can play a part in conservation efforts. Organizations like Gotham Whale, Jersey Shore Whale Watch out of Belmar, NJ, and American Princess Cruises out of Sheepshead Bay, NY, encourage the public to report sightings of whales and seabirds, helping scientists monitor trends and environmental changes. And if you bring a camera, even better—your photographs may serve as both scientific documentation and a powerful reminder of the incredible biodiversity thriving in our waters.

Next time you witness a frenzy of diving birds, take a moment to look beneath the surface—you might just discover a whale, working in harmony with its feathered allies to sustain the delicate balance of the ocean.

About the Author

James Falletti is an award-winning classroom teacher, curriculum writer, and photographer with a passion for environmental education and conservation. With multiple degrees in communications and journalism, English literature, and education, he seamlessly integrates storytelling, science, and experiential learning into his work. Through his photography and writing, James captures the beauty of the natural world while inspiring others to engage in citizen science and sustainability efforts. Learn more at @JamesFallettiPhotography.com