When you live in New York City, you pretty much get accustomed to seeing everything. Rude citizens, a spectacular nightlife, and the wonders of the subway, essentially, have made New Yorkers jaded. But a recent development in New York’s harbors is forcing some New Yorkers to do a double-take. What is is that could be causing this? Whales.
According to a report from ABC News, New York City is seeing an invasion of whales. Several sightseeing tours claim to have witnessed a bevy of whales swimming within the relatively unclean waters of New York.
Most of you reading this are probably incredibly shocked to hear that full-sized whales are swimming around New York City’s waters, but in reality, this should not have been so rare. Before the 1970s, New York City’s waters were a plethora of wildlife; animals ranging from bacteria all the way to dolphins and whales were all happily calling the water their home. Unfortunately, several tons of pollutants and sewage were added to the shores, which made harboring life next to impossible.
Thankfully, due to a series of environmental protection laws, New York’s shores have become increasingly clean and the sea creatures are taking note and returning in droves. In the western portion of the New York Bight, humpback whales are seen most frequently. Just recently, Tom Paladino, a New Yorker, witnessed five humpback whales and over 100 dolphins happily enjoying themselves.
It’s an incredibly majestic thing seeing these beautiful creatures swim so wonderfully. The average person assumes that whales would never swim anywhere near New York, and for decades, they were right. Admittedly, seeing the Freedom Tower in the distance as a 33-ton humpback whale breaks the water’s surface is still a bit hard to process, but it is also breathtaking.
Now that these animals have made their way back to New York, hopefully they can coexist with today’s modern world. Scientists are also worried that today’s political climate might reverse all of the great work that has been done.
Only time will tell whether or not these animals will stay and thrive, but I, for one, am eager to catch a glimpse of these marine mammals everyday.
