What animals swim in the Hudson River?

Crabs, turtles and many types of fish can be found along the whole length of the river. Near the sea, even starfish, lobsters and sea horses can be found!



The Hudson River is a surprisingly diverse ecosystem in 2026, home to over 200 species of fish and various marine mammals. Common swimmers include Striped Bass, Atlantic Sturgeon (which can grow to over 7 feet long), and the American Eel. In the brackish waters near New York City, it is now common to spot Humpback Whales and Harbor Seals, thanks to decades of water quality improvements and an abundance of prey like Atlantic Menhaden. You might also encounter the Diamondback Terrapin, a unique turtle that thrives in the river's marshes. While the river was historically polluted, the 2026 reality is a thriving "blue corridor" where even Seahorses can be found clinging to underwater grasses near the city piers. This resurgence of wildlife has made the Hudson a popular spot for urban "whale watching" and ecological research in the heart of the Northeast.

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Conservation priorities include: Brackish and freshwater tidal wetlands that provide essential habitat for diamondback terrapins, fiddler crabs, rails and killifish, river otter, turtles, bald eagles and other raptors, marsh wrens and herons, crayfish and dragonflies and blackbirds.

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The Atlantic sturgeon is the largest fish in the Hudson River. Adults are often five to eight feet long.

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Yes, Bull Sharks, Dogfish, Great White?, Whale. 25 different species live in the area, and while most won't spend much time in the river all are capable, though for short times as they are salt water specific.

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Women under 50 and children under 15 should not eat any fish from the Hudson River, including striped bass. Women who eat highly contaminated fish and become pregnant may have an increased risk of having children who are slower to develop and learn. Some contaminants may be passed on to infants in mother's milk.

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An estimated 100,000 people in the Hudson Valley rely on the Hudson for their drinking water.

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Seahorses are found in temperate and tropical waters all over the world, including the Hudson River.

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For Your Health- In 1976, the Upper Hudson River was closed to fishing due to extremely high amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fish. These levels posed a high risk of possible harmful health effects in humans. Since 1976, the manufacture of PCBs has been banned and their use phased out.

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The Hudson River lacked the necessary spawning and nursery capacity to maintain salmon. The first major tributary, the Mohawk River, entering from the west above Albany, was impassable due to the 70 foot falls at Cohoes.

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While there are orange individuals in the Hudson, these tend to be easy pickings for predators; one study of the diet of ospreys along the Hudson found that goldfish were a common prey of this fish-eating hawk. Thus the goldfish we catch are more likely to be olive green or brown than orange or gold.

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