Savers Fundraiser for NECWA in 2017 - Collect used articles for NECWA

Download and print our NECWA Donation Tags so you can tag your bags and boxes with our information. Click HERE to download the PDF file of the tag image below. This file is also on the NECWA Event's Page on our website at www.necwa.org.

2017 Marine Wildlife Calendar from NECWA

Coming soon, NECWA staff member, Courtney Callahan, has put together a fabulous calendar for 2017. Inside are many beautiful photos of whales, seals, seabirds, ocean sunfish and other animals that NECWA has taken over the years.

Support NECWA through the purchase of our first Marine Wildlife calendar. Calendars are $15 each, including shipping.

Check back soon to learn how you can get your calendar as soon as they become available.

PACTV News Review of NECWA

This fall, Kim Miot from Plymouth Public Access TV stopped by the NECWA office to chat with Krill and some of our staff members and interns on what NECWA is doing in the New England community. Kim also interviews NECWA staff members Courtney Callahan and Danny Marston.

Visit YouTube to view this short video by clicking  HERE

Thanksgiving Holiday Note from NECWA

North American Right Whale Consortium Overview by NECWA Intern Barbara Cross

Location for NARW annual meeting

The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium meet this past week on November 2^nd and 3^rd at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in order to share scientific work done by researchers studying Right Whales in the waters of the Gulf of Maine extending down to Florida. The consortium was composed of an executive committee and elected board members as well as scientists, fishermen, students and governing environmental bodies traveling from the east coast of the US and Canada.

A misty day in New Bedford, MA

Among the topics discussed were accounts of lethal and nonlethal entanglement, critical habitat, calf exchange between mothers, new technologies for 3-D imaging, theories on feeding habits relating to flamingo anatomy, migration patterns and much more. The consortium included line fishing displays from commercial lobster fishermen, and the continuing efforts from grade school students, “The Calvineers” who advocate for the recovery of the North Atlantic Right Whale by comparing their desires to the US Bill of Rights.

Display of Right Whale skeleton 

As usual in the science realm, there are always many questions and few answers. The consortium queried during session breaks and discussion periods about basic ideas, “Is there significant evidence to proclaim that North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) population is crashing?” If so, “What needs to be done about it?” These questions led to a healthy discussion and of course, more questions. At first the solution seemed simple “Take the ropes out of the water,” said the scientists, but also to be considered is the ever present and realistic demands of politics, the economy and present culture. There were several statements on action that were artful and convincing from a single perspective. There is a need for coercion and a focus on the ideas and solutions of people, not just scientists and not just fishermen.

Presentation hall

There is much we still must learn about the NARW including their life history traits. How long do females typically remain reproductive? How long could they live? Is it usual that mothers will raise another mother’s calf? To answer these questions there is a dire need  to be a need for cooperative efforts between scientists, the community, commercial fishermen and young students. Social and cultural cohesion may be a greater challenge then increasing the population of the NARW.

Next year’s North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium annual meeting will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Consortium reception

Right Whale hanging skeletons

Photos by Barbara Cross
For more information about the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium visit https://www.narwc.org

Shop for the Holidays with NECWA

Support NECWA by shopping for holiday items through our new online store.

To visit our store, click HERE

Pick-up some great deals on t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and other items.

Each purchase supports NECWA mission of helping to better understand and protect the unique coastal marine wildlife of New England.

NECWA is an all-volunteer organization so all purchases go directly to support our many projects and activities.

Thank you for your interest and your support.

Ocean Exploration Cruise

Thank you to all our participants who joined NECWA for our Ocean Exploration Cruise. We sailed aboard the Privateer IV, owned and operated by 7 Seas Whale Watch, for a Saturday full of wildlife viewing, big swells, science and chocolate! Thank you to our guest naturalists that included Wayne Petersen, Jim Sweeney, Ingrid Biedron, Adrian Jordan, and Thomas Robben. Thanks to NECWA staff and interns that included: Krill Carson, Tammy Silva, Courtney Callahan, Michael O'Neill, and Barbara Cross. A big thank you to 7 Seas Whale Watch, Captain Jay Frontierro and crew for doing such an amazing job offshore!

Our weather offshore was a bit overcast with fog in the morning and periods of light to moderate rain in the afternoon. Winds were out of the north, northwest at 3-9 mph early, then west, northwest at 6-13 mph. For the birders onboard, highlights were two Sabine's gulls (adult and juvenile), five Northern fulmars, and five pomarine jaegers. 

Capt. Jay

October 22nd was a mystical day beginning with limited visibility and rough seas. With Captain Jay Frontierro at the helm, veils of fog hugging the horizon where no match for his uncanny ability to uncover 10-12 humpback whales near the southwest corner of Stellwagon Bank.

Many of these humpback whales in this area, Hancock, Crisscross, Rocker, Bandit, and our beloved Salt with her 14th calf Sriracha, were intent on their feeding and gave us quite a show. The Humpbacks treated us with bubble net feeding, breaches and displayed their unique flukes under ever improving light conditions. However, there was more than one star of the show.

Humpbacks bubble feeding

Video of Humpbacks feeding

Not long after our departure from Gloucester we encountered 4-5 Harbor Porpoises and soon a Minke and Finback whale with the brief presence of an Ocean Sunfish! Throughout the day scientists, volunteers and interns from NECWA, Mass Audubon, and the Stellwagon Bank National Marine Sanctuary kept the ship entertained with commentary on animal behaviors, witty jokes, a free nature-themed raffle, and pre-Halloween treats.

Michael coiling the plankton net

Salps (clear, globular animals) and copepods (smaller reddish creatures)

A live plankton tow gave guests a close up view of salps that look like a translucent barrel-shaped pod or string.

Despite an unsuccessful chumming attempt to attract our favorite sea faring birds, we did see large numbers of shearwaters, including great shearwaters, Cory's shearwater, sooty shearwaters, manx shearwaters, as all as Northern gannets and jaegers who kept pace with our vessel and often with the feeding whales.

Our fearless companions 

To top it all off, our day of adventure ended with a rainbow and a safe harbor. Thanks to Michael Thompson for the GIS map below of our travels offshore and the locations of the marine mammals that we observed.



Thank you to Krill Carson for organizing this trip and to our captain, participants, and scientists!

Photo Album and Slideshow of our Ocean Exploration Cruise

Also to go Thomas Robben's blog that reviews the trip by clicking HERE:


Most updated species List is below:

Seabirds and Sea Ducks:                  Marine Mammals:                    Humpback Whales:

40 common eider                                 3-5 Harbor Porpoise                   Salt and calf (Sriracha)

1 white-winged scoter                         1 Fin Whale                                Crisscross

3 common loon                                   1 Minke Whale                            Rocker

5 Norther fulmar                                 12-15 Humpback Whales            Bandit

1200 Cory's shearwater                                                                           Whirlygig

400 great shearwater                                                                                Hancock

15 sooty shearwater                                                                                 Cateyes

164 Northern gannets                                                                               Pharos

5 pomarine jaeger

60 black-legged kittiwake

September 10, 2016 NECWA's annual Scusset Beach Coastsweep Cleanup

Fun time at NECWA's beach cleanup today at the Scusset Beach State Reservation. 

A big thank you to John DeCosta and his DCR team for their support of this event! We couldn't be as successful as we are without your efforts. 

Also, thank you to Stop & Shop, Shaws, and Blueberry Muffin for donating food for the breakfast and lunch provided free to all participants. Yummy!

We hope you can join us next year for this very special event. NECWA's beach cleanups are part of Coastsweep, a state-wide clean initiative each fall. 

Thanks to all  our participants for joining us for this special day. We hope you had as much fun as we did. Many of our participants return each year and we really appreciate that. 

And thank you to our NECWA staff including Mary N., Mary I., Tammy, Courtney, and Krill. Another successful cleanup from all perspectives. 

NECWA's new e-shop is up and running!

Shop online to support NECWA.

Support NECWA by shopping in our new online store. Go to the NECWA website and click on the e-shop links at the top and on the left side of the page. 

Or click HERE to go to our new online shop!

NECWA is an all-volunteer nonprofit so your purchases go to support our many projects and activities. 

NECWA's new e-store

Got Salt Presentation

Got Salt?

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

7 pm at the Salt Pond Visitor Center, Eastham, MA

Join Krill Carson for a presentation on "Salt, the humpback whale," on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at 7 pm at the Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham, MA. 

Hear tales of Salt, the most famous humpback whale that returns each summer to feed in the cold productive waters off Cape Cod. 

Events prior to this talk include the viewing of NECWA's life-sized inflatable model of Salt made by Krill and NECWA staff and interns. Kids and adults can see just how BIG Salt is by going inside her. 

Krill will also have marine wildlife artifacts for viewing, including whale baleen, whale bones, whale teeth, whale prey and much more. Free educational material and buttons for all participants. 

Happy Mother's Day from NECWA!

Happy Mother's Day to you and Mother Earth! 

Whale of a Tag Sale on Saturday, May 21st from 9 am to 3 pm.

Painterly Paint Night Fundraiser for NECWA on Earth Day!

Join the staff and interns of NECWA for a fun night of painting that will support our many programs and projects.

Hand-paint 2 glass items of your choice and use an existing design or one that you create yourself!

Registration fee includes 2 glass items, pain, brushes, smock, and professional instruction from Holli Faria of Studio Life Art.

Go to our Constant Contact Event Site by clicking HERE to learn more or to register for this fun event!

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE!  Hope you can join us for a great cause!

Display of Long-Finned Pilot Whale Skeleton at Bridgewater State University

Watch the journey of this skeleton as you learn of its death in the marshes of Lieutenant's Island in 1982 and its display at Bridgewater State University, first in the Conant Science Building and then in the new science building.

Thanks to NECWA staff member, Alex Egan, for putting this together for us. It is a fun video and we hope you enjoy it.

Best, Krill
Marine Biologist, President of NECWA

A Special Wish for YOU!

May your day be filled with love, kindness, generosity, empathy, gratitude, and compassion for all who live on this amazing planet, Earth. 

We are grateful for your continued interest and support of our organization and the work that we do on behalf of people and coastal marine wildlife. 

Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Click HERE 

to learn more about this special holiday offer or to order your card today! 

Payment is through PayPal (credit and debit are also accepted via PayPal).

Image of Salt by Adam Whittier  © 2015

2016 Sea Turtle Necropsies are in full swing!

Sea Turtle Necropsies down at Woods Hole!

As we wind down our sea turtle rescues on Cape Cod beaches, we now begin necropsying the sea turtles that didn't make it. Rescuing live animals from the beach makes our hearts sing as we feel like we are making a difference in the lives of these endangered marine creatures. So dealing with the carcasses of animals that didn't survive, makes us very sad.

If we use these carcasses as learning tools, then our efforts are not wasted. Each carcass examined allows us to collect valuable information that will help us better understand their biology and ecology.

NECWA collaborates with Mass Audubon at Wellfleet Bay for sea turtle necropsies down on the Quisset Campus at WHOI. What a great team of staff and volunteers! And what a great experience for our staff and interns.