After retiring in 2009 from a long career as a Curator of fishes and mammals at both the New England and NY Aquariums, Paul L. Sieswerda was drawn to studying the humpback whales that were showing up in the waters around New York City to feed on Menhaden. “The whales came to me, “ he said. Sieswerda developed the 501c3 organization, Gotham Whale, to study, educate about, and advocate for the marine mammals around NYC.
Meet our volunteers.
Celia Ackerman
Whale Watch Naturalist & Research Associate
A fearless founder with a dream.
Since Paul Sieswerda founded Gotham Whale, it has expanded to research the whales of NJ and NY in the waters of the NY Bight. Gotham Whale maintains a database of marine mammal sightings from their observations that started aboard the American Princess, and today includes seven whale watch companies, along with many community science contributions. Gotham Whale is proud to keep The NYC Humpback Whale Catalog which identifies individual whales from photographs of their flukes. We track the species, location, and behavior to gain insight into the whales as they come closer and closer to the Big City.
Paul was a fan of and fell in love with the oceans through watching Jacques Cousteau and became a diver at a young age. Collecting data and research for aquarium exhibits, he traveled the world from the arctic, to the Caribbean to Africa — making many friends along the way. He is the accomplished author of “Stranded,” a fiction novel about a whale research organization, as well as a children's book titled, “Big Whale, Big City.” Today, the team at Gotham Whale carries on Paul's legacy by growing our efforts and making an impact.
Executive Director
Bob, a best-selling author, elite business executive, and personal development coach, is the newly appointed Executive Director of Gotham Whale. With decades of experience studying successful organizations and leadership, Bob is passionate about advancing Gotham Whale’s mission to protect whales and their environment. Inspired by founder Paul Sieswerda, Bob brings a championship-driven mindset and a commitment to team-building, advocacy, and education. His vision is to elevate Gotham Whale’s impact on marine conservation and inspire collective action to protect these magnificent creatures. Under his leadership, Gotham Whale aims to achieve even greater success with your support.
Meet our Board of Directors
Paul Solano brings over 37 years of experience in non-profit fundraising and development to Gotham Whale. Throughout his career, Paul has played a key role in leading successful major gift and capital campaigns for a variety of sectors, including academia, healthcare, and conservation. He has served as the development chair on the boards of more than 10 non-profit organizations, leveraging his expertise to drive impactful results. In addition to his extensive non-profit work, Paul is the founder of PSANDALLMARKETINGGROUP, a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations achieve their development goals. He also hosts the inspiring podcast Paul Ponders, where he interviews business leaders, sports figures, authors, and entrepreneurs who are making a positive difference in the world. Currently, Paul is the general manager of a renowned historic restaurant in the Greater Boston area, furthering his leadership in both the business and non-profit communities.
PJ Sieswerda, son of Gotham Whales founder, has a lifelong passion for the ocean, sparked by early diving and tropical fish-collecting trips worldwide. His travels, including diving with Great White Sharks at Guadalupe Island and exploring historical sites across the globe, fueled his love for connecting with people, cultures, and art. PJ is dedicated to producing events that celebrate ocean conservation, such as theater showings of Ocean Angels highlighting his fathers work. A champion of thinking globally and acting locally, PJ collaborates with artists and performers to inspire action and support Gotham Whales mission of education and advocacy.
Capt. Paul Eidman is a seasoned Marine Conservation Advocate with over three decades of experience. He founded Menhaden Defenders, an organization dedicated to rebuilding Atlantic Menhaden populations from Maine to Texas, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the marine ecosystem. Since 1996, Paul has owned and operated Reel Therapy Inc., offering guided saltwater flyfishing charters and instruction, specializing in catch-and-release sportfishing in the NJ/NY Bight. Capt. Paul has been deeply involved with Gotham Whale since its inception, collaborating closely with Paul Sieswerda Sr. to develop both the citizen science program and public outreach initiatives. He has had numerous up-close encounters with marine mammals and has introduced many people to the wonders of Humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins during his whale- watching trips in the NY Bight. In addition to his work with Menhaden Defenders and Reel Therapy Inc., Capt. Paul serves as a marine affairs consultant to environmental NGOs, leading grassroots campaigns that advocate for responsible offshore wind development, habitat restoration and enhancement, and sustainable catch limits in commercial fisheries—all aimed at preventing overfishing in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Danielle Brown
Catherine McClave
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Your donation enables us to reach out with good news of sightings, continue our research and conservation efforts, and inspire the next generations of marine lovers to invest in their futures, and the future of these beloved animals. We appreciate your partnership so much.