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!
To register for Whale Week activities visit SEA Space in Whaler’s Wharf (237 Commercial Street, Provincetown) or contact Jesse Mechling, Director of Education, at 508-487-3622 x 114 or [email protected]
Whale Week is sponsored in part by the Provincetown Tourism Fund.
Run the Trails for the Whales 5K
Sunday, July 30 at 8 am
Lace up your running shoes and join us for a fun 5K through the beautiful Province Lands in the Cape Cod National Seashore. Registration fee is just $30, and all proceeds support the Center’s education programs. First 75 registrants will receive a souvenir Trails for Whales T-Shirt! Sign up at coastalstudies.org
Get to the Bottom Of It!
Tuesday, July 31 at 8:30am; Wednesday, August 1 at 9am; Thursday, August 2 at 9:30am; Friday, August 3 at 10:30am
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. $5 per child, reservations required. Meet at SEA Space in Whaler’s Wharf, 237 Commercial Street, Provincetown.
Guided Seal Walk
Wednesday, August 1 at 8.30 am
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 and the Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS) for a hike to a haul-out in Truro and learn more about the role these animals play in the Cape’s coastal ecosystem.
Free, all welcome. Reservations are required; call the CCNS at 508-487-1256 to register.
Walk begins at High Head Road in North Truro, just off Route 6 between the Outermost Beach Resort and Pilgrim Lake. Wear comfortable shoes, and be prepared for a 15-20 minute hike over soft sands. Bring water, and dress for the weather!
Whale Week Amazing Race 4
Wednesday, August 1 at 10 am
CCS, in partnership with the Pilgrim Monument and Museum, presents a fun, family friendly version of The Amazing Race. Teams of up to 4 people will compete in a race that takes in some of Provincetown’s iconic locations, while learning about the rich marine history of the town. $30 per team, includes admission to Pilgrim monument for entire day. Register at the CCS kiosk on MacMillian Pier on Race Day.
Lecture: Right Whales – On The Brink of Extinction?
Wednesday, August 1 at 5 pm
With a current estimated population of just 433 individuals, the North Atlantic right whale is among the rarest of all marine mammals. The future of the species is precarious at best: At least 50 whales have died since 2010, and 18 of those were in the last year. No births were recorded in 2018. These catastrophic losses coupled with historically low birthrates, have put the right whales on the path to extinction.
Dr. Charles “Stormy” Mayo, Director of the Right Whale Ecology Program and the Center for Coastal Studies, will discuss the Center’s efforts to save this critically endangered species.
$12 Non-members, $8 Seniors/Students, $5 Members. 10 and under free of charge. Light Refreshments served. All proceeds support the Center’s Right Whale Emergency Initiative
A docent tour of the new Spinnaker Exhibit is included.
Lecture – Spinnaker: An Entanglement Story
Thursday, August 2 at 10.30 am
Presented in collaboration with the Cape Cod National Seashore at the Province Lands Visitor Center, 171 Race Point Road, Provincetown.
Free, all welcome, no reservations required.
Junior Marine Animal Entanglement Responder (MAER) Program
Thursday, August 2 at 1pm
This new program shows kids 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 program is designed for kids ages 6-12. $5 per child, reservations required. Meet at SEA Space in Whaler’s Wharf, 237 Commercial Street, Provincetown.
Home Made Boat Race, presented by Venture Athletic Water Sports Thursday, August 2 at 5 pm
The Home Made Boat Race highlights the issue of marine debris in our ocean. Use whatever you can to build a vessel that will get you to the finish line! Prizes will be awarded, with points for ingenuity, costume, speed, and use of marine debris in the building process. Not a boat builder? Then come and cheer on the paddlers – hilarity is guaranteed!
Pre-registration is required; sign up at Venture Athletics Water Sports at 508-487-9442.
This event is sponsored by Venture Athletics Water Sports, The Crown & Anchor, and J & E Produce. Rain date Friday August 3 at 5pm.
Meet Spinnaker at the Hiebert Marine Lab
Sunday, July 29 – Friday, August 3 from 10 am – 4 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 – including the tangle of line and net embedded in her skull – is on permanent display at the Center’s Hiebert Marine Lab at 5 Holway Avenue, Provincetown. The Spinnaker Exhibit is open Sunday – Friday from 10 am – 4 pm. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.
Visit SEA Space Marine Discovery Center
Monday, July 30 – Saturday, August 4
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 – 6 pm and Saturday 12 – 5 pm. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.
