Our love of whales goes way back to the early 90’s when some friends took us out to Stellwagen Bank. To see these enormous and magnificent creatures passing so close to the small boat totally amazed us. After that, we went on whale watches over the years, but the experience we had from shore on April 24, 2004 is one that is forever etched in our memories.
Ever since that day in the dunes of Cape Cod out at Race Point beach, we have celebrated “Whale Day” on April 24th each year. Our family has studied and learned so much about North Atlantic Right Whales over the many years since 2004. Every year since that first encounter at the tip of Cape Cod, we have had numerous special family dinners, phones calls, e mails, and now texts to proclaim “Happy Whale Day !”
In the early spring of 2021, I’m not sure what got into me. Maybe it was the text from my daughter Katrina saying, “Hey Dad – Happy early Whale Day… I just heard the eighteenth Right Whale calf of the new season was born”. Maybe it was from a little bit of going stir crazy being cooped up because of the pandemic. It was probably a combination of both. But I decided that not just the Delaney family should celebrate this day. I called my State Representative, Josh Cutler and ran my idea by him. Josh liked the idea. On April 24, 2021, Josh filed legislation to establish Right Whale Day in Massachusetts. We are all hopeful that Bill h.3869 will be signed into law this year so everyone in the Commonwealth can celebrate and appreciate the majestic beauty of the North Atlantic Right Whale.
Eubalaena glacialis – Preserve and Protect
Submitted by: Matt Delaney