Last month, a pair of dolphins were spotted in the East River near 96th Street on the border near Manhattan’s Upper East Side and Harlem. They were sighted for several hours on Valentine’s Day and the following day. This is the first time in two years that dolphins have been spotted in New York.
Worker from Gotham Whale, Christopher St. Lawrence, saw the pair in person and later identified them as Common Dolphins. Common Dolphins can be identified by their dark gray cape which extends from their dorsal fin to their head.
The appearance of the pair gives hope that the East River is becoming less polluted. If the river becomes less polluted, there is a chance for other bodies of water or land to make a comeback from pollution. The dolphins are not the only sign of life in the East River, there have also been sightings of fish.
Let’s hope that The East River can once again be a clean natural body of water. If so, more sea life will return there and bring the possibility of more sightings in New York.