North Atlantic right whale mother and calf in the Cape Cod Canal on April 2. CapeCod.com
HYANNIS – A Nova documentary airing on PBS Wednesday at 9pm will feature many local marine animal experts and locations as it examines North Atlantic right whales, a critically-endangered species with fewer than 350 individuals left.
The film examines a changing climate uprooting whales from their traditional feeding and calving grounds, the impact of deaths caused by the shipping and fishing industries, and emerging technologies in whale rescue and entanglement prevention.
Writer, Producer and Director for “Saving the Right Whale,” Nadine Pequeneza, said the film also highlights voices from the fishing industry testing new, ropeless fishing gear.
“I think it’s a very important perspective to get in the film. And it’s a chance for other fishers who might be wary of the gear to see it in operation. They talk about the challenges of using it, as well. I know it’s a divisive issue right now.”
The production features Dr. Charles “Stormy” Mayo of the Center for Coastal Studies, as well as experts with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
“Snow Cone,” a North Atlantic right whale that frequented the Cape and Islands region to rear calves, also features prominently in the film.
“They are quite remarkable and you’ll learn that from the scientists, but most importantly I’d like [audiences] to come away knowing that there are solutions. There are things that we can do to protect this species and that it doesn’t have to go extinct,” said Pequeneza.
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