Mr Reynolds said pods of bottlenose dolphins were often seen feeding on large bunker schools in Sandy Hook Bay and Raritan Bay, and in the Atlantic Ocean near Jersey shore towns such as Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach and Long Branch.
“How could we say the Dolphins were after the bunker? ” He asked. “They weren’t alone. Crowds of hungry gulls, terns, cormorants and other seabirds also showed up.
Ms Montello of the New York Marine Rescue Center said an overlooked factor in recent sightings was the influx of humans seeking to escape the coronavirus pandemic by flocking to waterways, docks, piers, waterfront parks and New York’s fishing grounds, becoming accidental observers.
“We’re seeing more animals but also more public awareness,” Ms Montello said. She added that wildlife experts were increasingly concerned about accidental collisions.
“A lot of people tested their ability to drive a boat” during the pandemic, she noted. “It can be scary out there. »
Last year, Ms Montello said, the rescue center saw an increase in the number of dead dolphins and live strandings, adding that the reasons for the incidents often remained unclear. “More investigations are needed to understand what is going on,” she said, including necropsies and other detailed studies of affected animals and their aquatic environment.
“We haven’t seen a huge increase this year,” Ms. Montello noted. “But we are just entering the season. »
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