Paid programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Maritime Museum in Beaufort.
North Carolina has many species of whales that travel near our shores and sometimes strand on our beaches. This makes it ideal for scientists like Keith Rittmaster and his colleagues to study and promote the conservation and understanding of these endangered marine mammals. Join Keith to...
Summer Science School offers students the opportunity to learn about the natural and maritime history of coastal North Carolina during the school break. Programs are planned for students of varying ages, from those entering preschool up to rising sophomores. Click here for a full list...
An upcoming presentation at the museum will focus on the work by a team to document the existence and importance of right whales, as well as their plight, off our state’s coast. North Atlantic Right Whale aerial observers with the Clearwater (Fla.) Marine Aquarium Research...
For generations, North Carolina’s oyster industry was underdeveloped. This changed in the late 19th century when North Carolina oyster beds attracted attention following overharvesting in the Chesapeake Bay and the nation’s insatiable appetite for oysters. By the late 1880s, North Carolina oystermen and fish dealers...
The menhaden industry of North Carolina, which began in 1865 and ended in 2005, is one of the State’s most thoroughly documented fisheries. Unfortunately, the industry’s origins have never been thoroughly explored. Due to a reliance on two primary sources, scholars have assumed that there...
North Carolina’s shrimp industry slowly emerged in the Lower Cape Fear region during the 19th century. However, it did not take-off until the years leading up to World War I when Scandinavian immigrants introduced the otter trawl to Brunswick County. Following the introduction of the...
Today we might imagine saltwater sport fishing in North Carolina as one where sport fishers pursue large sailfish and marlin offshore aboard fiberglass sport fishing boats. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, recreational fishermen could only dream of catching such fish. Instead, recreational fishermen...
Children entering third grade will be introduced to coastal fish and fishing methods. Cane poles, bait, and tackle are provided for dock fishing for this one-day class, which meets from 9 a.m. to noon. Students also use nets to catch and identify marine life in...
Children entering third grade will be introduced to coastal fish and fishing methods. Cane poles, bait, and tackle are provided for dock fishing for this one-day class, which meets from 9 a.m. to noon. Students also use nets to catch and identify marine life in...
Students entering grades 7 through 10 will learn more in depth the importance of estuaries and coastal processes in this three-day camp that includes a field trip to the Rachel Carson Reserve, plankton observing, squid dissections, bird watching, and many more hands-on scientific experiments. Cost...
Children entering third grade will learn about coastal fish and fishing methods. Cane poles, bait, and tackle are provided for dock fishing; seine nets will also be used along a tidal flat. Students will catch and identify marine life in nearshore waters and create take-home...
North Carolina has many species of whales that travel near our shores and sometimes strand on our beaches. This makes it ideal for biologists like our Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster and his colleagues to study and promote the conservation and understanding of these protected...
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.