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First-ever ‘Right Whale Day’ planned for Mass.
As many North Atlantic right whales move through Cape Cod Bay, officials are looking to raise awareness for the endangered animals.
As a sizable portion of all the North Atlantic right whales left on Earth move through Massachusetts waters, the state is preparing to raise awareness for the endangered marine mammals. The first-ever Massachusetts Right Whale Day will occur on April 24.
One of Charlie Baker’s last acts before leaving office was to sign a bill officially designating that date as Right Whale Day.
More than 100 individual whales have been spotted in Cape Cod Bay so far this year, according to the New England Aquarium. Experts estimate that only around 350 North Atlantic right whales still survive.
On the heels of that decision, President and CEO of the New England Aquarium Vikki Spruill drew attention to the fact that human impacts, like vessel strikes and entanglements, are a leading cause of death for the animals.
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“The newly created Right Whale Day will help increase awareness for this species’ plight, providing additional opportunities to educate the public about the urgent need to protect these incredible animals that spend much of the year in and around Massachusetts waters,” she said in a statement.
The aquarium announced this week a series of events and initiatives designed to inform the public about the plight of the whales.
At noon on April 24, lawmakers, community advocates, and New England Aquarium staff will speak to members of the media and the public about the effort to save right whales. Nearby, people will get a sense of how massive these creatures are. Calvin, a 42-foot-long inflatable right whale, will be on display at Central Wharf Plaza that afternoon.
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Inside the aquarium, guests will be able to visit a special setup to learn more about right whale research and sign a petition urging lawmakers to support right whale conservation.
The aquarium is also promoting its new Ecoventure Cruise. Operating at slow speeds close to shore, the two-and-a-half-hour tour is replacing traditional whale watches until mid-May.
The boats are actually trying to avoid whales at this juncture, as the right whales have moved into waters that whale watch boats would normally have to pass through to reach Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, The Boston Globe reported. The Ecoventure Cruise seeks to raise awareness for right whales by informing passengers of why the tour is avoiding them, as the whales are particularly susceptible to vessel strikes. Instead, passengers get a unique view of Boston Harbor, other wildlife like birds and seals, and lessons on the area’s history.
Climate change is likely the reason so many right whales have come close to Massachusetts shoreline in recent years. As waters warm in the Gulf of Maine, the feeding and migration patterns of North Atlantic right whales are changing.
Earlier this month, workers attempted to disentangle a right whale in Cape Cod Bay to no avail. Slow zones have been introduced in the waters off Cape Cod to protect the whales, and a few have even found themselves in the Cape Cod Canal.
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