News and Events for Nantucket Island
Nantucket is considered one of the most idyllic places to summer on the East Coast, but living here year-round has many challenges and can be isolating, especially in the deep winter. This, coupled with the struggle to retain mental health professionals on-island full-time, has resulted in difficulties matching locals to needed mental health resources.
Last weekend, the first Portuguese Man-o-War of the season were spotted off of Cisco and Ladies Beaches. By the time this article is printed, I expect there will have been more sightings.
Known for its vibrant blue and pink colors, Portuguese Man-o-War has a gasfilled bag on top with tentacles that can extend up to 30 feet in length. During the day, the Man-o-War tentacles coil up, and appear thicker and shorter, but when they fish for prey at night, the tentacles extend out further, difficult to avoid for a swimmer.
Be prepared! Ah, yes, the old Boy Scout motto. No better time to be prepared than when you’re out on some remote beach, far from what passes for civilization on this little island of ours. It’s important to remember the 6 P’s: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance! Here’s a couple entries from my fishing log that illustrates the importance of preparedness.
by Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois, PhDDirector of Research & Education at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation There is a children’s book of poetry called Love Poems for the Unloved by Diane Lang which highlights species in nature that are often given a bad rap. Some of the poems focus on […]
Have you noticed seals lying around on the beach? Do you know what to do if you see one? Are they ok? Should I pour water on him? Shoo him back into the ocean? Get up close and see if he’s breathing? Take a selfie with him because I can? None of the above! The answer is stay back 150 feet and call the Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket Hotline (833-667-6626). Their trained volunteers will advise you, ask for observations and then send a teammate out to check.
The Nantucket Historical Association is welcoming visitors back to the Hadwen House at 96 Main Street. For the 2023 season, the historic property will feature several exhibitions, including one focused on Nantucket Lightship Baskets and exhibits highlighting the NHA’s decorative arts and map collections. Niles Parker, NHA’s Gosnell Executive Director says, “Hadwen House is becoming a great space for the NHA to explore more of the island’s important history in addition to the stories we tell at the Whaling Museum.”
Egan Maritime Institute is again partnering with Tall Ship Lynx this year to bring on-the-water experiences to Nantucket students, along with public programs during the summer season that welcome visitors and residents. The Tall Ship Lynx is an educational sailing vessel dedicated to hands-on educational programs that teach the history […]
“If you’re not real smart, you need smart friends.” I think this quote comes from Albert Einstein. Or maybe Yogi Berra. Who knows—maybe I said it. Regardless, there’s a lot of truth to this, right? Expert advice is a really great way to go when you want to get a question answered. And I am fortunate enough to have a bunch of smart friends, particularly when the questions involve fishing for striped bass. So it seemed like exactly the right time to ask them a bass fishing question. The question was as follows…
