We're fans of the whale watching tours that crowd the harbors of New York and Boston, but we have to admit, we never thought we'd see whales this close to Manhattan!
In news we never thought we'd report, the shores of New York and New Jersey are apparently clean enough to entice humpback whales back to the area. Coupled with fishing restrictions that likely increased populations of menhaden (that whales feed upon), the whales are slowly starting to return in numbers that surprise scientists as well as regular New Yorkers.
Over 50 whales have been spotted since June, more than double the sum from 2012 alone and impressive considering there are only thought to be about 11,500 whales in the North Atlantic. To follow along, check out Gotham Whale.
