Three summers ago I told Bill Doyle how I had just come back from a week at Seaside and while there saw a number of whales breach the surface. He was skeptical and I didn't blame him. Having grown up in New Jersey I've been down the shore my whole life and had never seen this until 2014. It's going to start happening on a regular basis.

In an NJ.com article, experts say they believe this summer could have more sightings of humpback whales than ever before. Paul Sieswerda, the president of Gotham Whale, said, "It's all due to the fish coming back in abundance."

Indeed, various environmental efforts that began in the '60's and 70's have slowly paid off, cleaning the waters and carrying more nutrients into Raritan and New York bays which in turn allowed for a larger plankton population. So naturally it's drawing whales closer in to the coastline.

VIDEO IS NSFW DUE TO LANGUAGE

How close do you want to get to a humpback whale? If you missed the YouTube video above, check out these guys in a boat on the Jersey side of the Verrazano Bridge who come so close to a whale breaching the surface they could have reached out and touched it. Just know the video comes with a few choice curse words, but if you suddenly experienced what they did, well, you get it.

The same summer I saw the whales I also saw a seal come out of the ocean and hang out on the beach awhile. That's something else I never saw before. Say what you will about all the bad things Jersey has to offer, but nothing beats a summer at the Jersey shore.

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