A pair of common short-beaked dolphins delighted New Yorkers with a rare appearance in the East River on Valentine's Day, near Manhattan's Upper East Side. This sighting highlights the improving water quality of New York's waterways, a testament to decades of environmental protection efforts.
Experts believe the dolphins entered the river in search of food, drawn by the increasing populations of small fish thriving in the cleaner waters. While bottlenose dolphins are occasionally seen near the New York coast, the appearance of short-beaked common dolphins, typically found offshore, is particularly noteworthy.
The increasing frequency of such sightings, along with record numbers of humpback whales in the area, indicates the positive impact of laws like the Clean Water Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. However, climate change may also play a role, with warming ocean temperatures potentially shifting marine habitats and influencing species distribution, raising concerns about new disease risks.