Local Botanist Seeks East River Dolphins—and Finds Them!

Look, out in the East River: It’s a barge! It’s a ferry! It’s the Circle Line! No, it’s a dolphin!

Two of them, it would seem, and though their exact identities are unknown, from a distance they appeared to be common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), perhaps a mother and her calf.

Though common dolphins are, as their name suggests, the most abundant of cetaceans, they aren’t often seen in the East or Hudson rivers and when they are, excitement abounds.

And while most people seem unable or unwilling to rush to the river to see frolicsome creatures for themselves, Dr. Morgan Halane, a 35-year-old botanist, isn’t most people.

Having heard of the dolphin sightings via the X accounts Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) and Gotham Whale (@chrisstlawrence), Halane—who works both as an instructor at the New York Botanical Garden and a Group Leader at Harlem Grown community farm—decided to seek them out himself.

“Saturday is typically my one day off during the week, between teaching at both NYBG and Harlem Grown, so the timing worked out,” Halane explained to Straus News. “The snow coming down inspired a sense of adventure, and I knew I had to beat the sunset for a chance to see them. My apartment is on the East River [on the Astoria, Queens side], so geography also worked in my favor!

“I tried to first see them from Astoria but quickly decided to take the NYC ferry over to the Upper East Side, closer to where the initial reports were, between 90th and 96th streets (quick shout-out to NYC ferry, which I use to commute to work every day, a fun and reliable way to commute). The exact location of my footage was the Bobby Wagner Walk at 95th Street.”

Given your intimate relationship with the natural world, Halane was asked, did he employ any dolphin-summoning ritual or high-pitched calls?

“I engaged in no calls, but science is a test of patience; even in the cold and falling snow, I stayed put with my camera at the ready. The thrill once I caught a glimpse of one of them will be difficult to replicate. I had to catch my breath and steady my hand while I pulled out my phone.

“At first, I wasn’t even sure if they would show up on my iPhone camera (I don’t own a professional camera quite yet—saving up for one), but looking at the footage again, I knew I caught a clear image of them both, even through the snow!”

If Halane sounds modest, he is, but when pressed by a pushy reporter, he admits to other notable accomplishments as a New York naturalist.

“I was fortunate enough to see the Central Park snowy owl in January 2021 (a first in 130 years). Also spotted a healthy Arabidopsis thaliana plant—one of the plants I did my PhD on—growing out of a Brooklyn sidewalk and made a report on iNaturalist. I’d only seen them in research labs before, so it was a strange feeling to see one in the wild.”

Dr. Morgan Halane can be followed on X @themorgantrail and Instagram @morganhalane.