Detectors Catch Whales Swimming Near New York City

Start spreading the news: Whales want to be a part of New York. Cornell University researchers have detected whale song in the waters near New York City. The team, led by Chris Clark, hoped to track the migrations of humpback, fin, and North Atlantic right whales on their migrations from their calving waters in Florida to their feeding areas in the waters off New England. This week their detectors, deployed only 13 miles outside the entrance to New York harbor, heard their first traces of the marine mammals singing. Clark hopes he can use the detectors to better map out whale movements and prevent ships from colliding with the whales, or using sonar that could confuse the creatures. The team will continue monitoring New York harbor through February, hoping to see which whales like to hang out around the Big Apple in the winter months. Maybe they'll stop and catch a Broadway show on their way back south. Image: NOAA