The Pacific and Atlantic coasts have seen the return of large marine creatures that have been absent for decades. On the East Coast, New York City has seen the return of humpback whales which had been missing from local waters for an entire century. The whales began their return almost a decade ago and are now a favorite of whale watching tours in the outer harbor. The humpbacks have also returned to Long Island Sound and make periodic visits to the inner harbor as well.

On the West Coast, off southern California, boaters have seen sharks “as big as buses.” Basking sharks, the second largest shark after the whale shark, have reappeared after an absence of three decades. No need to be concerned about going into the waters where they swim, however, the 20-26 feet long basking sharks eat only krill.

Why have the humpbacks and basking sharks returned? The humpback’s arrival seems to coincide with the resurgence in the stocks of menhaden, a bait fish, which had nearly disappeared from East Coast Waters due to overfishing.

Likewise, the basking sharks may be attracted by an abundance of plankton and krill, this spring, offering more food for them in local waters. Notwithstanding their return, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) still considers the basking shark to be a “species of concern.”