First Seahorse Of Spring Season Found In Hudson River: See It

WEST VILLAGE, NY — You might not have guessed that seahorses visit the Hudson River each year, but the tiny vertical creatures do — and the first one of the spring season just got found by park staff.

The seahorse was found hanging onto an oyster cage off the south side of Pier 40 in Lower Manhattan on April 7.

The small marine fish aren't very good swimmers, especially in bodies of water with currents as strong as the Hudson River, meaning that seahorses are generally found latched onto an object for safety, according to Tina Walsh, a Hudson River Park staff member.

Walsh told Patch that 10 to 15 seahorses are generally observed in the survey each year in the Hudson River. The discovery of the first seahorse of the new year generally aligns with the beginning of spring and waters getting warmer.

"We do expect to start seeing them in the early spring, it is definitely an indicator of our waters starting to wake up, things get warming, and it is actually a really good indicator of a jump in plankton in the Hudson," Walsh said.

Here are a few fun facts about seahorses, because why not!

• Seahorses are strong camouflagers.
• Seahorses are one of the few animals where the male gets pregnant.
• Seahorses are relatively weak swimmers because of their vertical body shape.
• The world's smallest seahorse is just over half an inch long.

The Hudson River Park runs four miles along Manhattan's west side, from 59th Street to Battery Park. You can find out more about the green space on its website.