June 19, 2014 — Whale watching and the tri-state area are not usually mentioned in the same sentence, but that’s starting to change.
As CBS 2′s Elise Finch reported, more and more humpback whales are spending time in the region. But why?
Experts say over the past few years the waterways in New York and New Jersey have gotten much cleaner. As a result, the area is seeing more marine animals gather there.
“Rather than going all the way up north to Maine, Massachusetts, they’re stopping here and finding nutrients, menhaden, abundant fish to eat,” said Paul Sieswerda, a marine educator with the group Gotham Whale.
Menhaden, also known as bunker, are an oily bait fish that travel in large schools, attracting whales along the way.
“They’re actually swimming tighter and tighter into a circle,” said Catherine Granton, another marine educator at Gotham Whale. “They’re looking to appear larger to a potential predator, but in doing that, that gives that humpback whale a perfect opportunity to just come up, unhinge his jaws and just lunge right through.”
Read the full story and watch the video at CBS New York