Whale WEEK Nov. 30 - Dec. 6 By C.J. O'Brien Emory University MDP Candidate
You can get Whale Whiskey during Whale Week at Ghost Coast while supplies last. It's delish! Photo provided by Whale Week.
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said Paulita. “In a historically is the calving season of male dominated realm, we are the North Atlantic right whale! watching conversations about While most people are gearing ocean conservation become more up for the holidays, coastal inclusive. With more perspectives communities in north Florida we can build a culture of and Georgia are getting ready to stewardship that is lasting.” welcome the right whales with Whale Week has been active in excitement as they make their building awareness all across the voyage home for the winter. state, bringing the message to the During the month of December, state Capitol in 2019 “we play an these majestic marine mammals essential role in the future of this migrate from their feeding grounds endangered species and the ocean in the North Atlantic waters to plays an essential role in our own the Georgia and North Florida lives, we should be a steward of coastlines to give birth to their their future”. As a response to calves. Unfortunately, right whales these efforts Governor Kemp were hunted for over 900 years officially proclaimed December and have yet to recover from the as North Atlantic Right Whale Embedded photo by Sea to Shore Alliance, taken under NOAA pressures of historic whaling. Awareness Month statewide. Two of the current threats to research permit 20556 Building on this support in its third these whales are vessel collisions year, Oceana and Whale Week will host Boston Globe’s David Abel and entanglement in commercial fishing gear. The latter is usually the for a movie screening event, and the Susie King Taylor Institute will result of fisheries in the North Eastern US and Canada. There are host Michaela Harrison for a Musical event. now approximately 360 right whales in the current population, with All 2020 events take place between November 30th - December as few as 100 reproductive females. Research suggests that without 6th and will be virtual. Due to the virtual nature of this year’s serious conservation efforts we could lose all the reproductive age program, we get to cast a wider net of participants for events that female whale within 23 years, and that would signal the beginning cover history, science, arts, performance, advocacy and more. You of the end of a species. To combat their extinction and raise can find out more about events at WhaleWeek.org. Events are awareness about these curious creatures, Whale Week emerged in made possible by amazing partners and supporters at the City of 2017. Whale Week brings together the Savannah community and Savannah Weave A Dream, Oceana, Susie King Taylor Women’s beyond to build awareness and to honor the species - reminding Institute and Ecology Center, Georgia Conservancy, Ghost Coast local boaters to be mindful of mothers and calves off our coast Distillery, Loop It Up Savannah, TMG Creative, Tybee Island each winter. Marine Academy, Tybee Island Marine Science Center, Gray’s Every December, as the whales return to our offshore waters, Reef Marine Sanctuary, and Loop It Up Savannah, Lisa D. Watson, Whale Week’s co-founder Paulita Bennett-Martin pulls together Rachael Flora, and Nancy Daves, all working toward a common groups and individuals in Whale Week to create a schedule of goal, protecting North Atlantic right whales from extinction. events featuring local and national experts and artists. “This RSVP for events at WhaleWeek.org year audiences can hear from marine scientists, disentanglement When you are on the water, go slow, it’s calving season! experts, environmental artists and youth leaders. It’s also exciting And if you see a whale please report it by calling 877-WHALEto see the women in whale conservation coming together as well HELP. as African American women taking a lead in these conversations” November 2020
Southern Tides Magazine
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