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.
Join us for the annual Whales and Whaling Symposium to learn about the history, biology, conservation, and pedagogy of whales and whaling related to the southeast U.S. and Caribbean. The free symposium provides an opportunity to learn which species of whales can be found in the state’s coastal waters and further offshore, how and where some of these species were/are hunted regionally, and the contributions aerial surveys, stranding response, and prepared skeletal specimens make to research, conservation and education.
The program is free. However, pre-registration required due to limited seating; you must register for each program that you plan on attending individually. Register below or by calling 252-504-7758.
SCHEDULE:
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Educational Display: Interactive and informative display of whale teeth, baleen, oil, skulls, and bones, as well as educational games.
10 a.m. Welcome and Introduction
10:15 a.m. “Trying Women: A History of Women in the Whaling Industry”
Christine Brin, North Carolina Maritime Museum associate curator of education
Using information gathered from whaling communities around the North Atlantic, Christine Brin pieces together the history of women in the whaling industry. These roles included net mending, running stores, processing whale meat, and occasionally even joining their husbands at sea. Join us for an interesting insight into the world of women in the early 17th century North Atlantic maritime community.
11 a.m. “Mogul and Medieval Iceland: A Millennium of North Atlantic Right Whales”
Dr. Vicki Szabo, professor of ancient, medieval, and environmental history at Western Carolina University
In 2018, a young North Atlantic right whale named Mogul made a splash off the coast of Iceland. Mogul’s transatlantic trip was remarkable because his species has not been witnessed in those waters for centuries. Using the evidence from medieval sagas, histories, charters, maps, archaeology, and biomolecular analysis, Dr. Szabo offers a thousand-year history of the North Atlantic right whale as seen from the shores of medieval Iceland.
Noon-1:30 p.m. Break for lunch
1:30 p.m. “Does Mother Know Best? Matrilineal Influences on Whale Social Dynamics”
Courtney Felton, North Carolina Maritime Museum associate curator of education
Dive into the world of whale and dolphin social dynamics during this presentation that dives into the role the females of the species play in social interactions, including raising their young, babysitting, and even limiting bullying. Join Courtney Felton to see if mother really does know best.
2:30 p.m. “What Can We Learn from Marine Mammals that Strand on NC Beaches?”
Dr. Vicky Thayer, adjunct professor for the College of Veterinary Medicine at NC State University and North Carolina Stranding Network coordinator
North Carolina beaches see a higher diversity of marine mammal-stranded species than any other state. Most of what we know about many of the species comes from stranded individuals. When searching for the cause of a stranding event, we often find evidence of ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, infectious disease, ingestion of marine debris, cumulative impacts, or shark predation. However, the cause can not always be determined. Join Dr. Vicky Thayer as she explores the challenges and rewards of being part of the collaborative and collegial North Carolina Marine Mammal Stranding Network.
3:30 p.m. “North Atlantic Right Whale Aerial Surveys in North Carolina”
Meghan Bradley, Hannah Gricks, and Courtney Caccamo; this season’s southeast United States North Atlantic right whale aerial survey team
Get a brief overview of the duties of the southeast United States’ North Atlantic right whale aerial survey team, as well as highlights of ongoing research and conservation efforts for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, during this snapshot of the survey season since November 2024.
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.