Dolphin Story 2008-09

Witnesses claim they saw three to five dolphins who had been feared dead in the icy Shrewsbury River swim out of the waterway and into the open waters of Sandy Hook Bay last week.



The owner and several employees of Bahr's Landing, a seafood restaurant in Highlands, said they saw the animals swim past the Route 36 bridge and into the bay on Jan. 15 -- right before the river froze over.

"We were in the dining room talking when, all of a sudden, someone yelled, "Oh, my God! I just saw the dolphins!' " said Ann Luongo, a waitress at the restaurant. "I saw two of the most beautiful dolphins jump out of the river, just like you would at Sea World."

The owner of the restaurant, Jay Cosgrove, said he saw between three and five dolphins swim past the bridge out to the bay.

Luongo said she watched the rest of the afternoon to see if the dolphins swam back into the river, as they have several times before. They did not, she said.

Teri Frady, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said the restaurant owner told the agency the same thing, but said she could not confirm or disprove the sighting.

The lack of dolphin sightings in recent days led to fears they had died in the icy waters.