Paid programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Maritime Museum in Beaufort.
Registration and Refund Policy:
Registration costs, less a 10% fee, are refunded when the museum receives cancellation notice at least 48 hours before the start of a program. There is no refund within 48 hours of the start of a program, and tickets cannot be transferred to a later program date within that 48 hour timeframe. Due to material costs and supply, Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center Courses require a 2-week notification for cancellations; only the course fee is refunded if cancellation occurs prior to 2 weeks. The Museum reserves the right to cancel any program that does not meet the minimum participant requirement up to one week before the program is scheduled. In the event of cancellation due to low enrollment, participants who have submitted a fee will receive a full refund. If a program is canceled due to inclement weather and unable to be rescheduled for another date, the participants will receive a full refund.
Annual Whales and Whaling Symposium
March 20 @ 10:00 am - 6:30 pm
Free
The history, biology, conservation, and pedagogy of whales and whaling specific to North Carolina will be covered during the North Carolina Maritime Museum’s annual Whales and Whaling Symposium. The program is free. However, pre-registration is preferred due to limited seating. Register below or by calling 252-504-7758.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE:
10:15 a.m.: “NC Whales: Diversity, Distribution, and Conservation,” presented by Keith Rittmaster, the museum’s natural science curator and director of the Bonehenge Whale Center. Rittmaster will discuss the 35 species of cetaceans documented off North Carolina’s coast, conservation challenges and ongoing work at Bonehenge Whale Center.
11:15 a.m.: “Nye’s Clock Oil and the Bottlenose Dolphin Fishery at Hatteras Island,” presented by historian David Cecelski. Cecelski examines the surprising connection between North Carolina’s coastal fisheries, the waning days of American whaling and the rise of the U.S. clockmaking industry at the turn of the 20th century.
2 p.m.: “Watching Whales in the Middle Ages,” presented by Dr. Vicki Szabo, professor of ancient, medieval and environmental history at Western Carolina University. Szabo contrasts whale mythology in medieval Europe with the practical knowledge of coastal communities, drawing on historical texts and archaeological evidence.
3 p.m.: “How Many Whales Does It Take to Save a Species?” presented by marine biologist and conservation-based crafter Tommy Tucker. Tucker’s program focuses on the critically endangered Rice’s whales and uses the stories of individual whales to illustrate the intersection of maritime history, natural history and conservation.
5:30 p.m.: The North Carolina aerial survey team for North Atlantic right whales. Operated locally in Beaufort by the Clearwater (Fla.) Marine Aquarium Research Institute and funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the team will discuss right whale biology, current population trends and how aerial surveys are supporting recovery efforts for this critically endangered species.
Annual NC Whales and Whaling Symposium
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Registration and Refund Policy:
Registration costs, less a 10% fee, are refunded when the museum receives cancellation notice at least 48 hours before the start of a program. There is no refund within 48 hours of the start of a program, and tickets cannot be transferred to a later program date within that 48 hour timeframe. Due to material costs and supply, Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center Courses require a 2-week notification for cancellations; only the course fee is refunded if cancellation occurs prior to 2 weeks. The Museum reserves the right to cancel any program that does not meet the minimum participant requirement up to one week before the program is scheduled. In the event of cancellation due to low enrollment, participants who have submitted a fee will receive a full refund. If a program is canceled due to inclement weather and unable to be rescheduled for another date, the participants will receive a full refund.