July 6, 2017 — New video shows a diver off the coast of Tasmania coming face to face with a whale recently in a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
But you don’t have to travel to Australia to see these marine giants–they’re now in the waters off New York City.
Though the Hudson River was once a national symbol for pollution, humpback whales have become a more common sight around New York and New Jersey, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Glor.
A whale sighting may look like an acrobatic display with its fluke set against the city’s skyscrapers, but they’re actually lunge feeding–attacking fish called menhaden.
“One of the things that brings everything together is this food chain,” said Paul Sieswerda, the president of the non-profit Gotham Whale. He says menhaden are thriving because the water is cleaner.