Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors to Dive into Fernandina Beach's Whaling History

The Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors join the city of Fernandina Beach in celebrating its 200-year anniversary. And, you are invited to participate in the celebration by joining the whale ambassadors for “Right Whales Offshore Fernandina: A Historical Perspective” Saturday, September 7, from 2-3:30 p.m. This special event will be presented by Barb Zoodsma, retired NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Region’s North Atlantic Right Whale Recovery Program Coordinator. The presentation will be held at Story & Song Bookstore, 1430 Park Ave., Fernandina Beach, Florida.

I was given a sneak peek of this unique event by Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors. The historic presentation dives into our community's fascinating history of right whales. From the harrowing days of whaling to present times, right whales are woven into the fabric of our lives. Barb Zoodsma has discovered many poignant stories about right whales killed off Fernandina Beach during the height of whaling. She will also share stories about present efforts to bring the right whale back from the brink of extinction.

Several Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors spent a lot of time researching for this historical presentation. None of this would have been possible without institutions like the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts. The New Bedford Whaling Museum has archived and digitized thousands of logbooks and journals from the days of commercial whaling. These collections are available online for public use. Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors were able to locate stories about whaling vessels visiting our region by combing through these materials.

A logbook was the official record of the activities of a whaling voyage. It was the duty of the first mate to keep the log daily. The log contained information about the position of the vessel, the sail she was under, the wind speed, direction, and the activities of the crew, as well as any whales seen or taken. In contrast, a journal was an unofficial document about a voyage written by any crew member.

Both journals and logbooks provide a unique perspective about life aboard a whaling vessel. Many logbooks were written in cursive on paper that has faded or been damaged over the years. Although not the easiest documents to read, they are well worth our attention and effort.

Some logbooks and journals show drawings and stamps used to illustrate whales. Stamps were very common and made of wood or ivory cut to look like certain species of whales. They were used to keep track of where whales were taken. Sometimes, only the tail of the whale was stamped in the logbook, indicating the whale got away.

While researching for the upcoming presentation, Barb Zoodsma located information about the whaling vessel Golden City, which visited ports in our region during the days of commercial whaling. She will share some fascinating stories about this whaling vessel.

Other captivating information about our relationship with whales included in the presentation includes the use of whale oil. Streetlights and household lamps used whale oil until kerosene was introduced into the market. For decades, the Amelia Island Lighthouse used whale oil to light the way for mariners.

By far, one of the most interesting tidbits of information I learned about the use of whale oil came from the French chemist H. Mège-Mouriès. He invented margarine in the late 1860s. He combined whale oil with milk and salt and allowed it to solidify, creating margarine. By the 1930s, whale oil for making margarine was replaced by vegetable fats, principally cottonseed, soybean, coconut, peanut, corn oil, and palm oil.

The Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors' historic presentation will also address present-day efforts to protect right whales and their calving grounds, which include the waters off Amelia Island.

Other activities planned by the ambassadors for this year include right whale sighting training. Did you know that we often see right whales with their newborn calves from the beaches of Amelia Island? You can sign up for right whale sighting training and learn how and where to spot these magnificent creatures from our beaches. The next training session will be presented by Julie Albert and the Right Whale Sighting Network in November of 2024. This informative 1.5-hour class will qualify you to join the Whale Alert Network and get immediate notification when whales can be viewed from local beaches. Exact time and location of training will be announced soon at ameliaislandwhaleambassadors.org.

The Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors are also busy preparing for Right Whale Week, which will take place October 25, 2024 to November 3, 2024 in Nassau County, Florida. Right Whale Week celebrates the return of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale to their winter calving grounds, right here off Amelia Island. Right Whale Week will conclude with the annual Right Whale Festival at Main Beach on November 2-3, 2024.

The Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors are inviting area businesses to participate in Right Whale Week by featuring and displaying whale information and merchandise. They are encouraging restaurants to name a special menu item or drink after whales. Right Whale Week festivities and a complete schedule of right whale festival events can be found at Rightwhalefestival.com.