A dolphin duo was seen swimming in the Bronx River last week, according to a tweet by the NYC Parks Department.
In addition to the event being cute sight for passersby, the parks department says that it’s also good news for the city’s waters, stating “it shows that the decades-long effort to restore the river as a healthy habitat is working.”
And while we’d like to believe the dolphins swam through the river simply to put a smile on our faces, it’s likely they naturally swam their way to the river in search of fish.
The NYC Parks department restocks the Bronx River with alewife and other fish annually to restore the river, and they even shared a video of the process back in 2018.
The video was initially shared by Instagram user @nick_banko, with a caption reading “Alright now I need some answers. If you from the Bronx & know this park somebody please explain to me why tf there is dolphins in the f**king park.”
He wasn’t the only one enjoying the news, however.
Assemblymember Kenny Burgos tweeted he’d be “cancelling [his] entire schedule tomorrow to go dolphin sighting in the district.”
We’re with you on that one, Kenny!
Moreover, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen dolphins in New York’s waters, however.
Back in June of last year a study showed that the NY harbor was a “dining hotspot” for Bottlenose dolphins during the summer and autumn months.
Looking for food and the chance to socialize, these migratory animals have been known to return to the city’s harbor annually.
As for this duo, as much as we’d love to get a closer look at these gorgeous creatures, NYC Parks encourages us to welcome these dolphins and make sure they’re comfortable by giving them space and not disturbing them.
And if you missed them, don’t worry–we’re sure this won’t be the last time dolphins are spotted in NYC!