Whale calls heard for first time off NYC

U.S. News & World Report reports on the first recorded whale calls heard off of New York City's harbor area.

Scientists installed recording equipment 13 miles off of New York Harbor and Fire Island and were rewarded with the sounds of three different whale species; fin, humpback and North Atlantic right whales.

"'With data generated by acoustic monitoring, we can better understand New York's role in the life history of these endangered whales and make more informed conservation decisions,' said James Gilmore, chief of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Bureau of Marine Resources. 'This is especially important for the survival of right whales.'"

Whales (like the right whale pictured above) are vulnerable to being killed by shipping vessels. Being better able to monitor the migration patterns of whales will enable shipping lines to avoid colliding and killing the endangered mammals.

Read the full story: Whales heard near New York City