Whales spark joy in New York but face threats from boat traffic

Off the shores of New York, scenes like this one are becoming more and more common, spotting a humpback whale coming up for air. For the passengers on this tour, it's an unforgettable experience. It's a great feeling. I mean, it's, you know, it's a little bit awe-inspiring to see something that's, I don't know, eats 2,000 pounds of fish a day. That's crazy. Once near extinction, these humpback whales are growing in number, thriving on the edge of the U.S. capital. It's an area in which they now find food in abundance. Traditionally, these whales would have went a little further north to their primary feeding grounds in places like the Gulf of Maine, off the coast of Canada, and even Iceland. And those places are being affected heavily by climate change. And as a result, baitfish distributions are changing. Contributing to their increasing presence are the measures taken by local authorities to improve air and water quality, and to encourage the development of the Atlantic Manhattan, a silvery fish that is a key component in the diet of whales. But this phenomenon is threatened by the dense marine traffic in this port area, where oil tankers, cruise ships, and container ships converge. Another threat is fishing nets, which whales can become tangled in. Folks who grew up here might be extremely capable captains and seasoned fishermen, but they didn't grow up driving boats around whales because they didn't used to be here. And so we're all needing to learn some new skills to help us reduce risks. Now, a new law in the state of New York obliges candidates looking to pass their boat license to undergo training on the protection of marine mammals.