'They are amazed': New York City sees extraordinary leap in whale sightings

A total of 272 whales were spotted last year, compared with five in 2011, thanks to legislation mopping up pollution, experts say

For most New Yorkers, wildlife spotting is confined to squirrels, the odd raccoon and anguished encounters with rats. But in the waters surrounding the city a very different animal experience is quietly booming: sightings of whales.

A total of 272 whales were spotted in New York City waters last year, according to the citizen science group Gotham Whale. That is an extraordinary leap from 2011, when just five of the huge cetaceans were witnessed frolicking near the most populated urban area in the US.