Rare winter humpback whale sighting in Rhode Island

NARRAGANSETT BAY, RI (KTRK) -- It's a rare sight this time of year: a 50-feet-long humpback whale was caught on camera Monday, breaching the waters of Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay.

Rhode Island harbormaster Ed Hughes said he heard a colossal splash in Narragansett Bay when he was making his rounds in the morning.

The bay stretches about 25 miles from the Atlantic Ocean north toward Providence, the small state's capital city.

Hughes said the whale was about halfway up when he saw it splashing around for about 45 minutes.

Humpbacks aren't supposed to be lingering around there this time of year, as they usually head to warmer waters as the winter approaches. It's unclear why the animal would be there.