The Whales & Whale Research

Whales! Capture their majesty. Watch in anticipation as a North Atlantic right whale surfaces, raises its enormous body to look you in the eye and then dives back into the deep. Hear the piercing blow of a finback whale surface feeding next to the boat. Feel the exhilaration as a humpback whale hurls its massive body out of the water and crashes back into the sea. Your mind reaches out to discover more about their world. Some experiences open new worlds.

Click here to learn more about: CETACEAN SPECIES OF THE BAY OF FUNDY

Climb aboard our research vessel. Chart the course into the Bay of Fundy. Scan the horizon for marine life. Along the coast you see seals sleeping on the warm rocks, sliding into the sea, feeding and playfully leaping. Bald eagles commonly patrol the skies and perch on trees. Schools of fifty or more white-sided dolphins occasionally follow the boat, riding the bow wave, leaping and flipping in the air. Our team of marine science instructors answer your questions and direct the discussion of marine life, marine biology and ocean systems.

Observation is exhilarating, but whale research and marine science are even more fun. At Whale Camp you don't just see the marine animals, you learn about them and their world. You will use professional marine biology and oceanography equipment to make hands-on discoveries about life in the ocean. You will gather and analyze data about your marine sightings to understand the science of whales and life in the sea. With each additional week at Whale Camp you will penetrate the ocean world's mysteries more deeply and gain a clearer understanding of the critical issues facing your own future.

Marine scientist Laurie Murison has managed the Grand Manan Whale & Seabird Research Station (GWSRS) since 1986. Laurie has been gathering data on the marine mammals and birds of the Bay of Fundy for over 30 years. She helps Whale Campers understand basic whale and marine mammal research during our Friday morning sessions with her. Her extensive knowledge and experience has earned her the well-deserved reputation as a world expert on Fundy marine ecology.

Through the summer researchers from GMWSRS rescue porpoises that have become entrapped in the nets of fishing weirs that are designed to trap herring. Whale Campers often closely observe these rescues from nearby boats, kayaks or land. You can help rescue entrapped porpoises by contributing to the Harbor Porpoise Release Program at gmwsrs.org.