A winter wildlife cruise offered by Classic Harbor Line offers an unconventional perspective on New York City's wildlife, showcasing the return of seals, dolphins, sharks, and whales. Marketed as both a scenic yacht experience and a nature tour, the excursion takes guests on a cozy, heated yacht through the harbor. Guided by an urban naturalist, attendees learn about the resurgence of marine animals due to improved water quality, while enjoying refreshments and stunning winter views of the skyline and floating ice.
"A lot of people don't know there are seals in New York," says Russell Jacobs, an urban naturalist who guides the tours. Though seals are just one of a few marine mammals returning to the harbor, the big-eyed creatures steal the cliff-shore spotlight in winter.
"The water quality has been getting a lot better," says Isabelle Stinnette, the senior scientist for restoration ecology at the Hudson River Foundation. She shared that seals, dolphins, sharks and whales are all coming to New York because the ecosystem is improving.
Collection
[
|
...
]