Whale Week 2020

Whale WEEK Nov. 30 - Dec. 6

By C.J. O'Brien Emory University MDP Candidate

You can get Whale Whiskey during Whale Week at Ghost Coast while supplies last. It's delish! Photo provided by Whale Week.

'Tis the calving season of said Paulita. “In a historically the North Atlantic right whale! male dominated realm, we are While most people are gearing watching conversations about up for the holidays, coastal ocean conservation become more communities in north Florida inclusive. With more perspectives and Georgia are getting ready to we can build a culture of welcome the right whales with stewardship that is lasting.” excitement as they make their Whale Week has been active in voyage home for the winter. building awareness all across the During the month of December, state, bringing the message to the these majestic marine mammals state Capitol in 2019 “we play an migrate from their feeding grounds essential role in the future of this in the North Atlantic waters to endangered species and the ocean the Georgia and North Florida plays an essential role in our own coastlines to give birth to their lives, we should be a steward of calves. Unfortunately, right whales their future”. As a response to were hunted for over 900 years these efforts Governor Kemp and have yet to recover from the officially proclaimed December pressures of historic whaling. Embedded photo by Sea to Shore Alliance, taken under NOAA as North Atlantic Right Whale

Two of the current threats to research permit 20556 Awareness Month statewide. these whales are vessel collisions Building on this support in its third and entanglement in commercial fishing gear. The latter is usually the year, Oceana and Whale Week will host Boston Globe’s David Abel result of fisheries in the North Eastern US and Canada. There are for a movie screening event, and the Susie King Taylor Institute will now approximately 360 right whales in the current population, with host Michaela Harrison for a Musical event. as few as 100 reproductive females. Research suggests that without All 2020 events take place between November 30th - December serious conservation efforts we could lose all the reproductive age 6th and will be virtual. Due to the virtual nature of this year’s female whale within 23 years, and that would signal the beginning program, we get to cast a wider net of participants for events that of the end of a species. To combat their extinction and raise cover history, science, arts, performance, advocacy and more. You awareness about these curious creatures, Whale Week emerged in can find out more about events at WhaleWeek.org. Events are 2017. Whale Week brings together the Savannah community and made possible by amazing partners and supporters at the City of beyond to build awareness and to honor the species - reminding Savannah Weave A Dream, Oceana, Susie King Taylor Women’s local boaters to be mindful of mothers and calves off our coast Institute and Ecology Center, Georgia Conservancy, Ghost Coast each winter. Distillery, Loop It Up Savannah, TMG Creative, Tybee Island

Every December, as the whales return to our offshore waters, Marine Academy, Tybee Island Marine Science Center, Gray’s Whale Week’s co-founder Paulita Bennett-Martin pulls together Reef Marine Sanctuary, and Loop It Up Savannah, Lisa D. Watson, groups and individuals in Whale Week to create a schedule of Rachael Flora, and Nancy Daves, all working toward a common events featuring local and national experts and artists. “This goal, protecting North Atlantic right whales from extinction. year audiences can hear from marine scientists, disentanglement RSVP for events at WhaleWeek.org experts, environmental artists and youth leaders. It’s also exciting When you are on the water, go slow, it’s calving season! to see the women in whale conservation coming together as well And if you see a whale please report it by calling 877-WHALEas African American women taking a lead in these conversations” HELP.