The Center for Coastal Studies invites you to bring family and friends to Whale Week – A Celebration of the Sea! Whale Week features a host of fun, family-friendly events and activities, all with a briny theme. There’s something for everyone!
Meet Spinnaker at the Hiebert Marine Lab
Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 am – 2 pm
Spinnaker was an 11 year-old humpback whale from the northern Gulf of Maine. During her short life she was entangled in fishing gear at least four times, and was freed by the Center for Coastal Studies Marine Animal Entanglement Response (MAER) team on three of those occasions. She died in 2015, likely as a result of injuries sustained during her entanglements. Her skeleton is on permanent display at the Center at 5 Holway Avenue, Provincetown. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.
Visit SEA Space Marine Discovery Center
Monday – Friday from 11 am – 5 pm
Located in Whaler’s Wharf, just steps away from the beach, SEA Space offers fun activities and exhibits for kids and adults. Drop by and learn about the different whales that visit Cape Cod every year. Play interactive games on our touch-screen consoles. See plankton and other miniscule sea creatures that are usually invisible to the naked eye. SEA Space is open Monday – Friday from 11 am – 5 pm. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.
Learn at the Beach
Monday, Thursday and Friday
Visit the Center’s pop-up education and information stations and discover more about the seals, sharks and other marine animals the visit Cape Cod waters! Look out for our tent at Head of the Meadow beaches in Truro on Mondays and Fridays, and at Race Point in Provincetown on Thursdays.
Junior Marine Animal Entanglement Responder (MAER) Program
Monday, July 31 at 11 am
Kids will learn what tremendous work it takes to free a whale or turtle trapped in gear. They’ll see the tools used by our MAER team; photos and videos of actual disentanglement operations; try their hand at “rescuing” a “whale”, and brainstorm new ideas to reduce and prevent marine animal entanglement. This hands-on program is designed for kids ages 6-12. $10 per child ($5 for CCS members).
Reservations are highly recommended; CLICK HERE to register. Meet at SEA Space in Whaler’s Wharf, 237 Commercial Street, Provincetown.
Get to the Bottom of It!
Monday, July 31 at 4 pm
Become a junior marine biologist! Use a plankton tow to collect tiny marine creatures then use a microscope to take an up close and personal look at the tiny marine animals that live in Provincetown Harbor. Learn how and why the biggest animals in the ocean depend on the smallest animals to survive. This hands-on program is designed for kids age 6 – 12. $10 per child ($5 for CCS members).
Reservations are highly recommended; CLICK HERE to register. Meet at SEA Space in Whaler’s Wharf, 237 Commercial Street, Provincetown.
Guided Seal Walk
Monday, July 31 at 4 pm
Gray and harbor seals are frequent visitors to Cape Cod waters and can often be seen resting on local beaches at areas called ‘haul-outs’. Join educators from the Center for Coastal Studies for a hike to a haul-out in Truro and learn more about the important role these animals play in the Cape’s coastal ecosystem. Reservations are required, CLICK HERE to register.
Spinnaker: An Entanglement Story
Wednesday, August 2 at 6 pm
An illustrated lecture presented by Jesse Mechling in collaboration with the Truro Historical Society at the Highland House Museum, 6 Highland Light Road, Truro. Free, all welcome, no reservations required.
Watching Whales from Shore
Thursday, August 3 at 11 am
Learn about the whales that call Cape Cod waters home and the efforts by Center staff to protect and preserve these magnificent marine mammals. Presented in collaboration with the Cape Cod National Seashore at the Province Lands Visitor Center, Race point Road, Provincetown. Free, all welcome, no reservations required.
