Humpback whales return to Hudson River estuary, New York
SFGATE.com reports, 9th June 2017: Large numbers of humpback whales have returned to New York City for the first time in a century.
For the first time in 100 years, sizeable numbers of humpback whales are being spotted in the waters off NYC, and it’s thanks to years of environmental clean-up efforts, Popular Science reports.
“Because of the improvement of the water quality, algae and zooplanktonzooplankton Zooplankton form the group of tiny animals such as minuscule jellyfish and rotifers present in the marine environment. They are a major source of food for those higher up the food chain, and their numbers relate directly as a good indicator to the nutrient enrichment of the sea of the area. Note: phytoplankton are microscopic plants, and zooplankton are microscopic animals. have multiplied, giving good food for the menhaden [a small fish eaten by whales], which have returned in numbers that the fishermen say they have not seen in their lifetimes,” Gotham Whales founder Paul L. Sieswerda told Pop Sci.
New findings reveal baby humpback whales and their mums intentionally speak softly when a threat appears. Just like human infants, humpback whale calves are extremely vocal. However, new audio reveals baby whales “whisper” to their mother in order to avoid being overheard by predators. If theories prove correct, these skills could indicate a very high level of intelligence. Until the enactment of the Clean Water Act in 1977, New York City’s waters were a dumping ground for everything from medical waste to factory run-off. Some of those chemicals were cancer-causing, the EPA said.
The whale sightings are so frequent, there are multiple ferry companies offering whale-watching tours.
On a recent American Princess Cruises excursion, lucky whale-watchers saw four
humpbacks in a single trip. In 2016, the Telegraph reported that 20 whales were seen all year.
A similar trend, also credited to conservation efforts, has been seen with the shark population in California. The Clean Water Act and the Marine Life Protection Act have boosted the numbers of great white sharks — and marine mammals in general — according to scientists
Source: SFGATE.com, 9th June 2017. For the full details, see www.sfgate.com/news/article/humpback-whales-have-returned-to-NYC-11203263.php
