The sight of a humpback whale fluke set against the New York City skyline is an anomaly no longer.
For the first time in 100 years, sizable 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 zooplankton 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 moms 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.