A few facts and phenomena which prevail in the New York City waterways:

•    Every year, millions of striped bass spawn in the upper Hudson river and pass through the city in prolific numbers, in sizes up to 50 pounds

•   Tuna- the false albacore- an extremely fast and elusive fish, appear in late August

•   Porpoises and seals are drawn to the city waters because of the abundance of bait on which to feed

•   Weakfish, a sea trout, return every spring in large numbers

•   The world's thrid oldest living creature, the horseshoe crab, overruns Jamaica Bay in late spring, returning to spawn. Great piles of these animals can be seen on the new and full moons of May and June.

•   One quarter of all clams consumed locally are harvested off Staten Island, after which they are purified in more pristine water

•   Large sea turtles, up to 3 feet in diameter, are routinely sighted in the area

•   Whales routinely show up in the winter, often pinned to the bows of large container vessels

•   Species that fishermen prize-- flounder, fluke, bluefish, herring, shark, porgies, blackfish, eels and crabs among many others-- are harvested and eaten in large quantities