December 19, 2016 — RYE, N.Y. — It’s a majestic sight — a living creature, larger than a city bus, breaching, frolicking in the the water close to shore.
Whale sightings are on the rise in the New York area, with sightings along the Long Island Sound, the ocean beyond the narrows and occasionally along the Hudson River.
In November, a wayward humpback whale dazzled spectators with binoculars as it swam up the Hudson near the George Washington Bridge, WCBS 880’s Sean Adams reported.
In October, several whales were spotted swimming off the shores of Rockaway Beach in Southern Queens, and back in August, a mother and daughter had a close encounter with a 24-foot whale off the Jersey Shore.
Whales have also been returning to the Long Island sound.
The whales are following their stomachs — searching for fish that thrive in local waters.