The particular situation is linked to the improvement in the quality of the river water.
In the absence of snow, nature gave New York City another piece of great news: Dolphins returned naturally and in the dead of winter, in what appears to be an ecological miracle. The dolphins were discovered in the Bronx River near Starlight Park, which is just south of the Bronx Zoo, the Bronx River Alliance reported.
“It’s true: Dolphins were seen in the Bronx River this week! This is great news: it shows that the decades-long effort to restore the river as a healthy habitat is working. We believe these dolphins naturally found their way into the river in search of fish,” the NYC Parks Department commented, uploading a video of the marine mammals sighted.
“We encourage you to welcome these dolphins to the Boogie Down! Make sure they are comfortable during your visit by giving them space and not disturbing them,” NYC Parks added on Twitter.
Dolphins are generally not seen within the NYC limits, experts say, let alone in the river next to Starlight Park. “This is very indicative of the improvement in water quality in the Bronx River,” said Adriana Caminero, parks department ranger.
According to Caminero, the efforts made since the 1970s, when Congress passed the clean water law, are paying off. We also “see seals, which is another sign of the improvement in water quality here.”
Howard Rosenbaum, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Ocean Giants Program and a scientist at the New York Aquarium, explained that these dolphins appear to be visiting the city they came into the river system from the ocean and looked comfortable swimming. “I don’t see any signs of distress for these animals at this time. But we want to keep an eye on that,” Fox News quoted.
At the beginning of the spring of 2021, some dolphins were seen swimming in the East River, off Brooklyn. Parks Department officials advise residents that if they see these highly intelligent and friendly animals swimming, Give them space and don’t bother them.
In what has been called a “miracle” of aquatic ecology, in the past decade scientists have noted a resurgence in marine mammal activity and presence around NYC and New Jersey, with reports of humpback whales, dolphins and even seals.
