Whale, you know we couldn’t let today slip by without making a splash for one of the ocean’s biggest residents. Today, April 24, Massachusetts is recognizing the first-ever Right Whale Day to help raise awareness about this endangered species.
Right whales are frequently spotted in Cape Cod Bay and Nantucket from December to May. Local scientists have documented 100+ individual North Atlantic right whales swimming in Cape Cod Bay throughout the season — that’s approximately a third of the remaining population of less than 350 right whales.
Let’s dive in to the details for big day.
The New England Aquarium is hosting a free educational event at the Harbor Terrace Tent outside of the Aquarium. The team will break out a life-size inflatable right whale (read: 42-ft-long) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and will host North Atlantic right whale researchers who study how the whales are impacted by human activities + climate change.
Additionally, there will be remarks from Representative Josh Cutler and Senator Susan Moran, as well as Massachusetts’ first Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer + right whale advocates.
If you want to go straight to the source, book a trip on the Aquarium’s new Ecoventure Cruise for the chance to see whales up close. The tour will operate at slower speeds close to shore until mid-May.