A research team was working the summer of 2023 off the coast of Dominica when they made the “impossibly rare” observation of a mother sperm whale giving birth and the newborn assisted by the other whales in taking its first breath, all while recording their underwater vocalizations.
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‘Black Church Crawl’ to be immersive, historic experience
The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridors’ North Carolina Summit is offering an immersive tour highlighting the history of Black churches in Brunswick and New Hanover counties.
Halifax to mark colonies’ first big step toward independence
Historic Halifax State Historic Site is commemorating Friday through Sunday the 250-year anniversary of North Carolina taking the first official action of any colony to call for independence of British rule.
Corps says initiative will streamline infrastructure permitting
An Army Corps of Engineers initiative announced earlier this year is geared to speed up and improve the permitting process for civil works projects, eliminating “bureaucratic delays” with new technology and tools, but when it comes to dredging and beach nourishment, nothing is as simple as that may sound.
Our Coast: At the Whales, Whaling Symposium in Beaufort
Historian and author David Cecelski writes about the talk he gave earlier this month on bottlenose dolphin fishery at Hatteras Island during the annual Whale and Whaling Symposium in Beaufort.
Don’t hate the pines but Pollen-palooza ’26 is now upon us
One day, you’ll be standing at your window, minding your own business, watching plants start to green up, and then the blast of springtime begins, but it’s hard to see why there’s so much of it.
Ocean Conservancy’s tool measures impact of litter cleanups
The organization’s new online calculator lets users see how many seabirds, sea turtles and marine mammals they’ve helped by removing plastics from the environment.
Carolina Long Bay wind energy firm takes Trump buyout
The Interior Department’s announcement Monday that the developer of wind energy leases off the North Carolina and New York coasts had taken a $1 billion taxpayer buyout rather than proceeding marks a sharp pivot from the company’s previously stated position.
Study of past erosion-control lessons key to ongoing review
Analyzing lessons learned over decades of fighting back the ocean is critical as the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission’s Science Panel wraps up its ongoing study of the effects of permanent beach erosion control structures such as seawalls and jetties.
Dress for success when fishing or else you might get burned
When you spend outside all day fishing, you have the opportunity to get a sunburn, unless you’ve learned to choose appropriate attire.
Panel takes new look at beach erosion-control structures
Special report: As beach erosion alarms sound up and down the North Carolina coast and Outer Banks houses continue to fall into the ocean, policymakers are once again eyeing the science behind the state’s longstanding hardened structures ban.
Sharing is caring, but beware of nonnative, invasive plants
Sharing the beauty of plants is only human, but these days we can all do the research necessary to avoid a gorgeous green gift that becomes an invasive monster.
Tea parties too: Edenton, Wilmington women protested tax
Through boycotts and burning, women in Wilmington and Edenton took a stand in 1774 against England’s taxation without representation by forming their own tea party protests, the earliest-known political actions organized by women in the American colonies.
1,000 pounds of flounder, deep roots grew ‘epic’ family legacy
For the Rose sisters in Beaufort, the “calling” of the family fish house and seafood restaurant means long hours, scars on their hands and a defiant refusal to let the commercial fishing way of life slip away.
Hertford residents protest ICE’s plans for Rivers Correctional
Plans for a Hertford County for-profit prison that closed in 2021 to reopen as an immigrant detention center drew a few dozen protestors Saturday in this sparsely populated, rural part of the coast.
Rainy remembrance marks Revolution’s first decisive win
The commemoration of the first notable patriot victory of the Revolutionary War held recently at Moores Creek National Battlefield in Pender County featured reenactors, a ribbon-cutting for two exhibits, and special guest, Diana Gabaldon, creator of “Outlander.”

















