NEWBURYPORT — Folks attending the next Custom House Maritime Museum First Friday 2026 lecture are bound to have a whale of a time as Newburyport Whale Watch marine naturalist Kristin Daley is the scheduled speaker.
The lecture is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Water Street museum.
Attendees can experience a deep dive into the biology, behavior, migration and communication of whales in the Gulf of Maine – what helps these giants thrive and what threatens them. Learn about conservation, protection efforts and stories from the water that bring this ecosystem to life closer.
Daley is a marine naturalist with Newburyport Whale Watch and a traveling ocean educator with The Whalemobile. She has spent nine seasons studying whales, primarily in the Gulf of Maine, and also in Hawaii and South Africa. She has experience tagging sharks, rehabilitating sea turtles, and is completing her master’s degree in marine conservation biology.
The Whalemobile, an inflatable life-sized whale model, visited Newburyport High School in March. The 43-foot-long inflatable allows students to walk inside the whale to explore its anatomy, learn about conservation and discover how whales – and the ocean – are connected to everyone, according to the company’s website.
Daley is currently an intern with the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation program, and is working with critically endangered cold stunned sea turtles.
Through her work on the water, in research, and in education, Daley said she is “dedicated to connecting people with marine life in their own backyard and inspiring curiosity, conservation, and stewardship of the ocean.”
Over the years, Daley has come to recognize individual whales and understand their behaviors, movements, and feeding patterns. One of her favorite parts of the job is identifying familiar whales, sharing their stories, and helping the public connect to these marine mammals.
“I hope that the audience will realize how abundant the Gulf of Maine truly is and aims to inspire action to protect this remarkable ecosystem and ensure it remains healthy and thriving for future generations,” Daley said.
Custom House Maritime Museum Director James Russell said Greater Newburyport’s connection to whales is greater than many people might think.
“When I came to Newburyport, I thought the work that I’d done on the subject of whaling would not apply. However, research quickly showed that between Amesbury, Salisbury and Newbury/Newburyport, and as far upriver as Haverhill, 157 vessels built and used in the whaling business over a period of 100 years. The Essex of Amesbury is by far the most famous as it was stoved in by a whale in the South Pacific in 1812, inspiring Herman Melville to write “Moby-Dick.”
Russell went on to say that the sailing vessel Merrimack returned from an around the world voyage in 1837 with 1,600 barrels of whale oil and 1,300 barrels of sperm oil.
“Some of this oil was likely used to light Plum Island Lighthouse,” Russell said, adding that the crew list of that Merrimack River voyage was recently donated to the museum.
“So we know exactly who was on board,” Russell said. “These list are interesting because they describe the racial makeup of the crews – they were typically quite diverse.”
Dailey’s First Friday appearance starts with a reception at 5:30 p.m. Free for museum members, $10 for guests. The museum is at 25 Water St., Newburyport. For more information, visit customhousemaritimemuseum.org.
Dave Rogers is the editor of the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.