NECWA News Blog

Ocean Sunfish Season is HERE! We have been seeing quite a few ocean sunfish offshore during our whale watches out of Plymouth. This is the time of year that these pelagic fish come into our coastal waters to feed on jellyfish, ctenophores and other gelatinous critters. Here is a video taken by Leah, our staff member, when offshore aboard the Capt. John and Son II. Please report all sightings of live, happy ocean sunfish to our community-sighting network at www.nebshark.org . If you find a stranded ocean sunfish, live or dead, call Krill immediately at 508-566-0009. Thank you for you help.

Ocean sunfish right off our port bow.  Ocean sunfish season is now upon us. NECWA has received numerous sightings from our community sighting network on live and dead ocean sunfish seen in the waters off New England. Today, we had great looks at a large sunfish that was just southwest of Stellwagen Bank. We saw this animal during a whale watch charter with Capt. John Boats, Plymouth MA. New Bedford High School had joined us for a whale watch and this sunfish was our first sighting of the trip.  This fish was just taking it easy at the surface as we approached. As we watched this fish, it became curious about us and swam around the vessel a few times to get a good look at us. What was neat about this animal was how the eye could rotate sideways allowing the animal to get a good look at its surroundings even when floating on its side. Here is some video from today's sighting. To report your sightings of live ocean sunfish and basking sharks, plea...

Rockin' with Raptors at the Boston Nature Center NECWA joined the Boston Nature Center's annual Rockin' with Raptors festival. We had a great time today and really enjoyed being a part of this fabulous event. Thanks to NECWA interns Sherel and Maggie for their wonderful help and assistance over the course of the festival. And thanks to Jamie, Krill's son, for all his amazing help as well. NECWA was able to offer three different activities at our table. One activity was focused on origami. Here kids could make their own origami whale or ocean sunfish. Once decorated with stickers and markers, the kids could take them home for their enjoyment. The second activity was looking at all our fun display items including whale bones, whale baleen, shark jaws and ocean sunfish bones. Kids of all ages loved looking at all these neat whale artifacts. Our third activity called "Beach Treasure Hunt" was the favorite of festival participants. Here kids could di...

NECWA staff members Leah, Jane, Mary and Tammy. Squid egg cases.  Beach Cleanup at Scusset Beach We had a very successful beach cleanup this morning down at Scusset Beach State Reservation. Over 20 people joined us to help pick up the beach trash along the shores of Scusset Beach, a beautiful sandy beach at the mouth of the Cape Cod Canal. Joining us for this events were students from Bourne High School and Mass Maritime Academy as well as member of the general public. Kids young and old helped NECWA staff and interns pick up and record the type of marine debris that washed up on the beach.  Mass Maritime making a difference.  Mass Maritime students helping out.  This beach cleanup is part of a larger effort through COASTSWEEP, the Massachusetts-wide coastal cleanup that occurs during September and October. And our beach cleanup at Scusset Beach is in conjunction with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Captain John Boats a...