On October 20, 2024, the Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors hosted their first Baleen & Brew event at Disco Witch Brewing. This event was an informal setting that allowed those attending to ask experts questions about the North Atlantic right whale and the challenges they face.
Meet the experts!
Barb Zoodsma, retired from NOAA as their Southeast Right Whale Recovery Coordinator, and Tom Pitchford from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were available to answer questions. They brought along samples of baleen to check out. What is baleen? Baleen are plates that are lined up in a whale’s mouth to work like a filter for their food! (Hence the name BALEEN & Brew for our event!) A truly interactive setting!
Right Whale Blonde Ale
Disco Witch Brewing created a tasty drink to benefit the Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors! The Right Whale Blonde Ale was available for our event and through Right Whale Week! (Here is the other part of the event’s name…. Baleen & BREW!)
Learning about whales and raising money for awareness!
Tom and Barb shared real life stories of their time working with the North Atlantic right whales that migrate to the waters off Florida to have their calves and nurture them over the winter. (Fascinating!) They also shared information about some of the struggles that this endangered species faces, including entanglements and vessel strikes. We were able to ask questions about why some of the challenges they face don’t have a simple answer, and get some insight about what the future might bring. Getting some insight as to why some of the issues they face aren’t easily solved was so valuable. Each piece of the puzzle that we can make steps to fix can help this species. Choosing local seafood, keeping the beaches clean, keeping the speed down on vessels in the area the whales are known to be in, and helping to watch for the whales and make reports if you see one can all contribute to helping the North Atlantic right whales.
The Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors had their official hat for sale at the event, you could get signed up for our email list, view the timeline of whales over the last 200 years, and we had a fun game set up. For a donation, you could pick a square for a few different contests… when the first baby will be spotted, how many babies will be born this season, the age of the oldest and youngest mothers of the season, and how many babies the mother with the most babies has had. Keep watching our page throughout the season to see who the winners are! Thank you to everyone who participated!
A contest, the timeline, and some fun!
Samples of real baleen, zooplankton, and whale lice
Keep watching for the North Atlantic right whales to come to our area to have their calves! Our contest had a few different categories, and these are the prizes that the winners had to choose from! Thank you so much to everyone who came out to learn more about the whales and how they can help, and for supporting the Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors! We appreciate you all!
Thank you, Disco Witch Brewing!
A huge thank you to Disco Witch Brewing for presenting the Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors with a check from each pint of the Right Whale Blonde Ale sold! We are so grateful for your support!