Hundreds of whales spotted in New York waters and experts think they know the reason

Cleaner water and protection measures see numbers of whale sightings rocket by 540% in the last 8 years.

272 whales – almost all humpbacks – were spotted in New York waters during 2018

The number of whales seen off the coast of New York has risen dramatically in recent years, due in no small part to legislation which has seen the waters of the Hudson river cleaned up. A breathtaking 272 whales – almost all humpbacks – were seen during the course of 2018. It is an enormous rise since 2011 when just five were seen in the waters off the east coast city. At least seven species have been sighted offshore. They include the largest animal that has ever lived, the blue whale, and one of the most endangered creatures on earth, the North Atlantic right whale, as well as fin, sei, minke and sperm whales.

Dramatic increase in numbers thought to be due to anti-pollution laws

The surge in whale sightings in New York waters is being celebrated as a victory for environmentalists who have pointed to key laws including the Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act, which together have significantly reduced quantities of pollution being pumped into the river and into the bay around which the city is built.

The whales were routinely seen around the waters of New York well into the 1600s, but since then, the whale hunting industry and high levels of pollution in the area have made them a rare sight.

The whales return means they are entering the bay once again during the summer, before migrating to the warmer waters of the Caribbean for winter.

Scroll down for more photos by Artie Raslich, of Gotham Whale

Source: Independent.co.uk

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