Humpback Whale No. 500 in NYC: What This Surprising Milestone Means

A majestic humpback whale lunged and breached off the coast of Coney Island this past weekend — marking the 500th member of the special species to be recorded frolicking in the city’s waves since 2012.

The whale — deemed a new sighting based on its distinctive fluke — put on a spectacular show for onlookers to celebrate the milestone, which experts say is a clear indicator that the Big Apple’s waters are growing cleaner and more stable for wildlife.

“It’s really inspiring and amazing that New York City is offering these animals — that are finding challenging situations elsewhere — a place to thrive, that New York City, a place where we’ve associated with not very clean water and not with a vibrant ecosystem, is becoming a lifeline for 500 humpback whales that have been passing through our waters over the last decade or so,” said Chris St. Lawrence of the advocacy group Gotham Whale to The Post.