sylvia ackerman works for the gotham wales conservation group and is out here almost every day on the lookout for humpbacks. whales. have recovered significantly since a day of national whaling because of that protection and our waters now also believed her. then they've been in decades of. ox cart and then we see the 1st 2 whales spouting. a sign that they're on the hunt. the whale watchers are then also treated to a pod of young dolphins a key prey for both dolphins and humpback whales is menhaden up the. it's an oily forage fish that is in rich supply in these waters. what looks like rain hitting the water is actually a dense school of fish the menhaden often cluster in such concentrations that they can be easily spotted from the air off the coast of long island. the fish feed off algae and plankton that have absorbed carbon dioxide as such many atan are both invaluable filter fish for the ocean and a vital part of the marine food chain. they not only supply the whales and dolphins but other species the fish like stright. fish are sea they're there what's known as a keystone specie