Mentor-a-Mate
Provincetown Boat Charters offers a free, 1 or 2 day, daytime, mentor a mate program. We head out early in the morning, weather permitting, and spend up to 4 hours at sea. During this day(s) you will learn about the sea, wind, tides, marine life local to us here in Provincetown, all the parts of the vessel, how to leave and reenter the dock, and you will get to pilot the boat!
We will have everything that you need for your comfort and safety and we provide lunch, snacks, and cold drinks.
Don’t forget your sunglasses, a light jacket, and your camera!
For any questions regarding this amazing opportunity, please feel free to contact Captain Adrienne directly.
FAQs
Can a parent or guardian come for the trip?
Yes, definitely.
May I bring a friend?
Yes, you may bring a friend or a sibling along.
Where will we go?
Weather and wind permitting, we will go to Truro, Wellfleet and out to Race Point.
What if I have to reschedule or the weather is bad?
We are very flexible with our junior mates and will happily reschedule to your convenience.
How many days is the internship?
It is 1 or 2 days. If you feel one day is enough, then we are honored to have you for the day. If you’d like to come out once more, that is included.
Do the days have to be consecutive?
No, we want this to be an amazing experience for you and if you go out one day and them decide to come another day, we will happily welcome you aboard.
Will we see whales?
We certainly hope so!
Are there any other terms?
Yes, the terms on our PREPARE page, where appropriate, apply to this opportunity.
HUMPBACK WHALE SWIMMING UPWARD
NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE
Did you know?
1. Humpback whales are smart
Not only are humpback whales smart, but they’re also quite vocal! Each population communicates through its own dialect, and sings its own whale song. But, whales aren’t born knowing how to sing. Each baby whale learns from other whales around them. Oddly enough, only the male whales sing.
2. Whales are really, really big.
The flippers are huge as well, making up as much as one-third of their total length. The tail can be a whopping 18 feet wide. All that length makes for a lot of weight. Humpback whales weigh as much as 40 tons. To give you some perspective, a standard car weighs under 2 tons!
3. Breaching to the choir
They love to jump out of the water – called breaching – and perform acrobatic twirls. They also enjoy poking just their heads out of the water, or slapping their tail around. The reasons for these activities aren’t known yet. It’s suspected these are ways humpback whales play, interact, and communicate with one another.
6. Whales are globe-trotters
You’ve probably seen humpback whale pictures showing them in tropical waters. Also, further north near Alaska. They can be migrating just about anywhere in the Arctic, Atlantic, or Pacific Oceans too. They’re around MA and even in the Arabian Sea!
1. Right whales are one of the world’s largest whales.
Remarkably, they only eat zooplankton like copepods and krill larvae. Scientists have found they can eat between 2,200 and 5,500 pounds of food every day!
2. They can grow between 45 and 55 feet and weigh up to 70 tons.
They have a long arching mouth that begins above the eye and rows of baleen plates hanging on each side of their upper jaw.
3. They are baleen whales.
That means they don’t have any teeth! Instead, they use baleen, which looks like a comb, to filter their food.
4. They are endangered.
The NA Right Whale is one of the most critically endangered populations of whales in the world. Currently, right whale populations are estimated to be less than 440 individuals.
5. Right whales are the only whales to have callosities on their heads.
Their characteristic feature is callosities, which are raised white patches of roughened skin on their heads. Each right whale has a unique pattern of callosities that help scientists’ identify each individual.