While humpback whales are found in various spots around the world, as their annual migration takes place in southern oceans, the baleen whales have also shown up in a more unexpected place — New York City.
For the first time in more than 100 years, pods of humpback whales have been spotted in the Atlantic Ocean near New York City. Whale-watchers have spotted the cetaceans within a mile of the Rockaway peninsula, part of New York’s borough of Queens.

According to various experts, it’s all thanks to years of improving water quality.

Before 1977’s Clean Water Act, the ocean and other waterways around the New York City metropolitan area were a dumping ground for many toxic waste products and materials.

But since the enactment of the legislation, the humpbacks have been spotted in increasing numbers, especially in the last 10 years or so. In 2012, there were 15 sightings; in 2013, 33 humpbacks were recorded.

“Because of the improvement of the water quality, algae and zooplankton have multiplied, giving good food for the menhaden, which have returned in numbers that the fishermen say they have not seen in their lifetimes,” Paul L. Sieswerda told PopSci. “Our surveys show an exponential increase in the number of whales since 2011 when we first began our studies,” he said. “Prior to that, whales were only seen intermittently.”

Just three years ago, in 2014, an image of a humpback whale on Instagram captivated many New Yorkers. In the post, shown at right, the humpback is spyhopping, a technique not unlike what prairie dogs do when they pop their heads out of their holes. The whales get a better view of what’s on the surface such as prey. But in this picture, the Empire State building stands sentry in the background, linking the majesty of this whale species with the majesty of the fabled 102-story skyscraper.

One of the larger rorqual species, adult humpbacks average from 39 to 52 feet in length, and weigh roughly 79,000 pounds. The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins. The tail of each humpback whale is unique, and can be up to a third of the animal’s body length.

Once hunted to near-extinction, the global humpback whale population fell by an estimated 90 percent before a 1966 moratorium. While stocks have partially recovered, entanglement in fishing gear, ship strikes and noise pollution continue to affect the population, which is estimated to be at 80,000 worldwide.

Source: Sport Diver