Marineland Right Whale Project

10/27/2026

The 4th Annual Right Whale Skate Contest is happening November 7th at Poe Pinson Skate Park! Mark your calendars and save the date for an awesome festival weekend of vendors, food trucks, live music, skate contest, right whale conservation and more at Main Beach Park! Registration details and more information to come! Huge shout out to Friends Of Fernandia Sk8prk and Amelia Surf Co. for hosting the event, William Seda for the flyer and shirt design, Brian Bowen for photos/videos, Right Whale Festival for everything and all our sponsors for making it happen!

10/26/2026

On Stellwagen Bank off Boston, whales come up to feed right where the big ships used to pass. Ships kept hitting them there.

In 2007 the lanes swung 12 degrees north, around the feeding grounds. For a captain, that meant 10 to 22 extra minutes. By NOAA's math the risk of a strike fell 58 percent for the rare right whales and 81 percent for all big baleen whales.

10/26/2026

10/26/2026

If you’re local or staying in town after the Right Whale Festival, MARK YOUR CALENDAR for these two free events on Monday, November 9:

🪸 3 p.m. — The Beauty of Coral Reefs
Join Heather Starck, Executive Director of the Coral Reef Alliance, at Story & Song Bookstore Bistro for a presentation about efforts to save and protect one of the most beautiful habitats on earth with a reception to follow. Registration is required through the Story & Song website: https://tinyurl.com/4ma6637h

🐋 6 p.m. — Right Whale Sighting Training
Join Blue World Research Institute at the Courtyard Amelia Island to learn how to spot right whales from shore and report sightings. Your reports can help protect these endangered whales from vessel strikes. No registration is required.

We hope you’ll join us for another day of learning and ocean conservation!

08/28/2026

The Right Whale Festival is FREE! Do you know why? Because of our amazing and generous sponsors who believe in our mission and help make this educational community event possible year after year!

We are incredibly grateful for the businesses, organizations, and individuals who support the festival and help us educate thousands of people about North Atlantic right whales and what we can all do to protect them. Check out our website to see all of the incredible sponsors making this year’s festival possible: https://buff.ly/gIfMKQD

And there’s still time to join them! Become a 2026 Right Whale Festival sponsor as an individual, organization, or business. Commit by September 1 and, depending on your sponsorship level, you can have your logo featured on our festival T-shirts and posters!

Help us keep the Right Whale Festival FREE, educational, and accessible to everyone while supporting the fight to save one of the world’s most endangered large whales. Their Future, Our Fight. Become a sponsor and be part of it!

08/28/2026

SAVE THE DATES: 2027 MRWP Right Whale Calving Season​

It's never too early to start looking ahead to another North Atlantic right whale season! We're excited to share the MRWP's important dates for the 2027 survey season. Mark your calendars!

Beginning of Season Meeting: January 3, 2027
First Day of Surveys: January 4, 2027
Mid-Season Meeting: February 6, 2027
Last Day of Surveys: March 13, 2027
End of Season Meeting: March 21, 2027

We’re looking forward to another season of working together to spot, document, and help protect North Atlantic right whales along Florida’s northeast coast. More details about meetings and the upcoming survey season will be shared as we get closer!

Interested in volunteering for the 2027 season? Visit our website to learn more!

08/25/2026

Fall is coming, and it’s back-to-school time! But who says learning is just for kids?

Interested in learning more about North Atlantic right whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals that call our local waters home? Consider heading back to the classroom yourself!

Wild Lessons is offering a six-week journey into the world of whales and dolphins along Northeast Florida’s coast. Through engaging presentations, films, discussions, and even a sunset beach walk, participants will explore the fascinating lives of marine mammals and learn about the conservation efforts helping to protect them. Classes will occur mainly in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the incredible animals that share our coastline and the work being done to ensure their future. Click the link below for more info.

Join us for a six-week journey into the world of North Atlantic Right Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins along Northeast Florida’s coast. Through expert presentations, film, discussion, and a guided sunset beach walk, you'll explore the science, conservation, and stories behind some of the ocean's mos...

08/25/2026

We second that! A huge thank you to MRWP Project Coordinator Terran McGinnis for all she does for our project and for right whale conservation. Her dedication and hard work are truly appreciated!

Want to learn more about Right Whales and how you can help? Plan on attending the Right Whale Festival, November 7&8, at Main Beach Park in Fernandina Beach, Florida.

08/01/2026

Their Future, Our Fight: Let Your Voice Be Heard- support right whale research and policy!

Your voice matters. One of the most impactful ways to support North Atlantic right whales is by engaging with your elected officials. Contact your local, state, and federal representatives to share why protecting our oceans and marine wildlife is important to you. Encourage them to support strong science-based policies and sustained funding that protect whales and their habitat, while opposing efforts to weaken or roll back critical conservation measures. .

Ask lawmakers to invest in critical conservation efforts, including aerial surveys that monitor right whales during calving season, scientific research, vessel strike reduction, entanglement prevention, and education and outreach programs, like the Right Whale Festival, that inspire the next generation of ocean stewards and empower communities to take action.

Find your elected representatives here: https://buff.ly/zTFRGL5 and https://buff.ly/e4u3jLy

Learn more about simple ways to help: https://buff.ly/X1lY6Sm

Join us at the 2026 Right Whale Festival on November 7–8 at Main Beach Park in Fernandina Beach, Florida, and discover more ways you can help protect right whales.

07/15/2026

The 2026 Right Whale Festival is on Nov. 7th & 8th at Main Beach Park, Fernandina Beach, Florida!

This year’s theme is…THEIR FUTURE, OUR FIGHT. This theme is a call to action for all of us to play a role in protecting North Atlantic right whales.

Between now and the festival, we’ll spotlight the organizations and individuals working every day to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. With fewer than 380 whales remaining, their work has never been more important.

We'll also share simple ways you can make a difference. Small actions in your everyday life can help protect right whales and their future.

Stay tuned to hear more about the people making a difference and how you can get involved!