Right whale breaching in Cape Cod Bay.

The first confirmed sighting of North Atlantic right whales in Cape Cod Bay was recorded on Thursday, December 15th by Charles "Stormy" Mayo, Director of Right Whale Habitat Studies at the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies. The two to three whales were spotted in Provincetown Harbor, opposite the east end of Provincetown. Mayo remarked that "the whales were putting on a show the likes of which I've never ever seen except from humpbacks; perhaps 100 breaches, some simultaneous side by side." When not breaching, the whales formed a Surface Active Group (SAG), a type of social behavior between two or more whales that involves frequent body contact, often with whales rolling on their sides or backs. SAGs are thought to play a role in mating; however, because they occur throughout the year, many scientists believe that they have other social functions as well. ...more

Badly entangled flukes of the humpback whale as team members approach to throw a grapple into the entanglement. PCCS image. Taken under NOAA permit 932-1905 with authority of the ESA.

The Marine Animal Entanglement Response Team at the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies disentangled a young humpback whale this morning off Chatham, MA.

Scott Landry, director of the program, said that the operation would not have been possible without the support of local fishermen. "It was like the good old days when fishermen and whale people worked together to solve a tough problem" he said.

Fishermen stood by and assessed the whale until the responders arrived from Provincetown. All line and netting were removed from the whale. "The whale took off quickly once free, contrary to popular belief about whales thanking their rescuers" said teammate Doug Sandilands. ...more

PCCS Marine Animal Entanglement Response team. PCCS image taken under NOAA Fisheries Permit 932-1489

Scientists and whale entanglement experts from many countries gathered this week in Provincetown, Massachusetts for a three-day workshop on welfare issues associated with the entanglement of large whales. Organized by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and hosted by the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, the workshop met to advance recommendations about large whale entanglements that had initially been put forth at an earlier workshop that was held in Maui, Hawaii in 2010.

Although many hundreds of incidents of whales being entangled in fishing gear are reported each year, researchers estimate that many thousands more are unreported throughout the world's oceans; workshop participants recommended enhancing efforts by all countries to improve monitoring entanglements which, together with ship strikes, are the two majors threats to the healthy recovery of many species of endangered marine mammals ...more

Come and meet a few of our friends!

Join Center staff on Friday, August 26 for a very special 35th Anniversary Sunset Whale-Watch Cruise aboard the Dolphin Fleet.

This exclusive, members-only evening includes a gourmet picnic supper from Farland Provisions, with beer and wine from Truro Vineyards and the Land Ho! Restaurant.

The boat leaves MacMillan Pier at 5:30 pm sharp, so don't be late!

Tickets are $100 for PCCS members / $120 non-members (includes a one-year PCCS membership). For reservations, please call Jan Young at 508-487-3622 x 104 or email jeyoung@coastalstudies.org. All proceeds support the Center's work. ...more

A live action/puppet production retells the incredible story of the first whale successfully disentangled by PCCS, followed by a Q&A with Dr. Charles "Stormy" Mayo. Content is suitable for all ages. FREE! ...more

PCCS image. Taken under NOAA CFR 222.310, with authority of the ESA.

(PROVINCETOWN, Mass.) - A team with the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies freed two endangered marine animals from entanglement on Thursday.

A recreational boater off Sesuit harbor (Dennis) reported an entangled leatherback turtle Thursday afternoon. The Marine Animal Entanglement team was immediately dispatched from Provincetown Harbor to evaluate the animal. Once on scene the team was able to free the 700 pound leather back turtle from the entanglement.

As the team was returning from the turtle response, they received another report of an entangled animal. The report came from whale-watch vessels Granite State and Blue Ocean Society out of Portsmouth New Hampshire. The whale, a young humpback, was moving slowly across Jeffreys Ledge. The team headed out of Cape Cod Bay and north to the waters offshore of New Hampshire. Once on scene, they found the whale suffering from a long-term entanglement. ...more

(PROVINCETOWN, Mass.) - The Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (PCCS) is proud to launch Whale Week: A Celebration of the Sea. Whale Week is a week-long schedule of family friendly events all featuring a marine theme. Many events are free and there is something for everyone.

PCCS created the event and hopes to raise awareness about our oceans, marine mammals, marine debris, and coastal and marine ecosystems through fun events, which are suitable for audiences of all ages. Jesse Mechling, one of the Whale Week organizer's explains, "The idea of Whale Week is to strengthen the connection between our community and the sea, for it is the incredible marine environment surrounding us that makes Cape Cod such a special place." ...more

(PROVINCETOWN, MASS) - On Saturday, May 21, 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. - The Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies and Truro Vineyards presents "Wine and Whales," a special event to celebrate the launch of two new wines developed by Truro Vineyards in honor of the 35th Anniversary of the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies.

The wines - Right Red and Right White - are named for the North Atlantic right whale, one of the rarest whales in the world. A percentage of the proceeds from each bottle sold will be donated to PCCS to support right whales and other marine mammals in Cape Cod Bay and beyond. ...more

Click to register for Wine & Whales

"Lone Dory," by Lorraine Trenholm

(PROVINCETOWN, MASS) - The Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies will celebrate its 35th anniversary throughout 2011 with a series of events. The kick-off event is an opening at the Elizabeth Rowley Gallery, 84 Route 6A in Orleans, on Friday, May 20th at 5:30 p.m. "The Bay," is a collection of original paintings by Lorraine Trenholm and other Gallery artists inspired by Cape Cod Bay. A portion of the proceeds from paintings sold during the opening will be donated to PCCS. Guest will enjoy locally harvested seafood and wines courtesy of Brewster Fish House. The event is free. For more information call 508.487.3623, ext. 113 ...more

Click to register for "The Bay," Gallery Opening

(PROVINCETOWN, Mass.) - A North Atlantic right whale was freed from entanglement yesterday, by the Marine Animal Entanglement Response team, from the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (PCCS).

The entangled whale was spotted in the area of several other whales in Cape Cod Bay, by PCCS researchers conducting a right whale aerial survey. The whale had rope through its mouth that trailed over 40-feet beyond its tail. This entanglement was potentially life-threatening because over time, the line extending from its mouth could cause further complications ...more

(PROVINCETOWN, Mass.) - Record numbers of right whales have been recorded in Cape Cod Bay and adjacent waters. The whales are visible from Herring Cove Beach and Race Point in Provincetown.

To date, the right whale program has documented 201 right whales in Cape Cod's waters. Over one hundred animals were sighted yesterday during one seven hour research flight. Approximately 473 animals remain in the entire North Atlantic right whale population ...more

(PROVINCETOWN, Mass.) - The paper, Underestimating the Damage: Interpreting Cetacean Carcass Recoveries in the Context of the Deepwater Horizon/BP Incident, is published in Conservation Letters. The paper is authored by: Rob Williams, Shane Gero, Lars Bejder, John Calambokidis, Scott Kraus, David Lusseau, Andrew Read and Jooke Robbins of the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies. ...more

Click here to read the Conservation Letters release.