The Inflatable Gray Whale during April School Vacation

Gray whales are amazing long-distance travelers, undertaking migrations of thousands of kilometers each year. Although the gray whale is alive and well in the North Pacific, the species disappeared from the Atlantic Ocean by the 18th century. In the last 15 years, there have been five observations of gray whales in the Atlantic including off the coast of Florida in December 2023.

Most recently in March, scientists from the New England Aquarium spotted a gray whale off the coast of Nantucket while conducting an aerial survey. To explain the strange sightings, scientists point to climate change. The Northwest Passage, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific through the Arctic Ocean in Canada, has regularly been ice-free in the summertime in recent years, partly due to rising global temperatures. Now, gray whales can potentially travel the Passage in the summer, something that wouldn’t have been possible in the previous century.

Come walk through this amazing creature and learn all about its behavior and habits from the inside out with our CCMNH volunteers. An extraordinary journey!

Included with Museum Admission

For more information please call the Museum at 508-896-3867 ext. 133.