This past weekend marked the 8th annual Northeast Naturalist Workshop in Provincetown, Mass. The workshop is organized by Whale and Dolphin Conservation and sponsored by the Dolphin Fleet and the Wendy Joan Shadwell Fund for Whale Watch Naturalist Training and Education. The event is held at the Center for Coastal Studies’ offices.

Researchers, educators, whale watch naturalists and volunteers, and policy experts either listened to speakers or presented information to the group during the three day conference – networking and sharing important information and updates. The workshop ultimately helps whale watch naturalists from throughout New England to be ready to start the new season.

Cape Cod Bay Watch presented Cape Cod Bay: Where “No Nukes” Meets “Save the Bay” as part of the conservation panel on Saturday. See the power point slides here. We discussed Pilgrim’s impacts on marine life in Cape Cod Bay (including impingement, entrainment, and thermal pollution) as well as the missing requirement in Pilgrim’s licence to report protected species (which we raised in 2013, but the NRC still has not fixed).

The workshop ended with a successful whale watch on Sunday, where participants enjoyed humpback whales, fin whales, and even some right whales at a safe distance.

See a few photos from the workshop →