NYPD Special Ops officers patrolling the waters off Queens' Rockaway Beach recently were treated to quite the spectacle.
A whale flipped its tail as harbor members zipped by, and one of the NYPD members aboard took photos, according to a tweet from NYPD Special Ops on Tuesday. The species wasn't clear from the photos.
The sightings have become more frequent in recent years thanks to ongoing conservation efforts, which have helped fish populations thrive and oceans stay cleaner, wildlife experts say.
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Gotham Whales, a research group, reports hundreds of whale sightings in New York City these days, up from just five a decade ago, according to The New York Post. Last month, the group said it spotted nine in just one day.
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