Preparing for Season #16

With Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s time to think about the return of right whales to our shores. This will be season No. 16 for us and, with the unpredictability of the whales in recent seasons, we can hardly wait to see what they have in store for us!

HELP NEEDED NEXT WEEKEND, 13-15 NOVEMBER

Our first event leading up to the whales’ return is The Town of Marineland’s 75th Anniversary Celebration. Taking place over three days, Nov. 13 to 15, the Town will celebrate its past, present, and future, one theme for each of the three days. In addition to being the location of our Project’s headquarters, Marineland has a long history of its scientists documenting right whale presence along Florida’s coastline. On Sunday the 15th, we will tell that story as well as feature our current right whale research with an exhibit at the celebration. Naturally, we also will be handing out phone cards and encouraging people to join our surveys! For more information on this event check out www.gomarineland.com.

One week later, the 7th Annual Right Whale Festival in Jacksonville Beach, celebrating the return of the whales to NE Florida, will be held on Nov. 21 at the Sea Walk Pavilion. In order to focus on the Marineland event, the Project will not have a booth there this year. But, this is a worthwhile event to attend.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

In December, we will offer Introductory Talks in Palm Coast, Ormond Beach,  St. Augustine Beach, and Flagler Beach. The Survey Training Class is scheduled two days before surveys begin and will focus on the training of surveyors. If you plan to join the dedicated surveys, please do your best to attend to have the latest information on data collection and our plans for the season. See below for the complete schedule.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE 2015-16 SEASON

The Town of Marineland 75th Anniversary Celebration
Friday, November 13 to Sunday, November 15, 2015
Around the Marineland Marina
www.gomarineland.com

Right Whale Festival
Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Sea Walk Pavilion
Jacksonville Beach
www.rightwhalefestival.com

Right Whale Introductory Talks for new volunteers, surveyors and spotters alike, and anyone wanting to know how to spot right whales. If you are a returning volunteer and would like a refresher, by all means join us. (Encourage friends and neighbors to attend!):

Friday, Dec. 4, 2015
10:00 AM to 11:30 PM
Flagler County Public Library
2500 Palm Coast Parkway, NW
Palm Coast

Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Ormond Beach Public Library
30 S. Beach St.
Ormond Beach

Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015
2:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Anastasia Island Branch
St. Johns County Public Library
124 Sea Grove Main St.,
St. Augustine Beach

Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Ocean Art Gallery
200 S. Oceanshore Blvd (A1A)
Flagler Beach, FL

Survey Training Class for ALL SURVEY volunteers, new and returning, who are planning to participate in the dedicated survey effort:

Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016
2:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Center for Marine Studies, Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience
9505 Ocean Shore Blvd., Marineland

Surveys Start:
Monday, Jan. 4, 2016

Surveys End:
Sunday, March 13, 2016

OTHER RIGHT WHALE NEWS

The Marineland Right Whale Project report for the 2014-15 season is posted at www.aswh.org. The link is located in the lower left of the homepage. It is an excellent review of last season and the Project’s objectives.