News

Wednesday June 10, 2026
SEA Campus
Woods Hole, MA
1600 ET

While back on campus after the sea voyage, and in-between writing and preparing final projects and presentations, Camryn interviews fellow student Grace Farinella.

Hello, what’s your name and where are you from? 

I’m Grace, I’m from New Jersey. I go to URI [University of Rhode Island]. I study Marine Biology. 

What brought you to SEA?

I got an email from my school’s Marine Biology program for internships and opportunities for the summer, and I saw that it had to do with whales and being on a ship. I immediately wanted to be a part of it, because I have a passion for whales and also being out on the ocean and the field work being directly in the environment of the sea. I learn better [that way, instead of] learning marine biology in classrooms. This is my first time sailing. 

What was your most memorable moment from our life at sea?

My most memorable moment was probably when we saw the mother and calf sleeping together. It was the closest I’d ever been to a whale. We were close enough that we could hear the sound of their breath as they blew out of their blow holes. Even though they were sleeping and pretty calm, it was still really interesting to see them up close and magical. 

I really liked how everybody got very quiet whenever we were having closer encounters with whales or just any encounters with whales. It kind of gave everyone time to really take in what we were looking at and not just see them as commodities but more as individuals and beings that we were sharing the space with.

Today was one of our last days of classes. Do you have a particular lesson about whaling history and conservation that has stood out to you most?

I do. I really enjoy the, it was kind of brief, but any lessons that we had about Indigenous experiences with whaling and whales. I find this very interesting. I think that it’s something to look back on and consider when taking in the full story of human coexistence with animals in general and nature. That there were people who already had ideas about conservation and had values about how to live in reciprocity with the things around us. 

Today we had a class in the morning where we learned about the future of whale conservation, current issues that whales still face. I found it was a pretty interesting lecture on the different weights of all of these different problems that are facing whales today that have not a lot to do with industrial whaling that we might have thought, but more so to do with entanglements and vessel strikes and climate change. 

I think something that sticks with me more so throughout my life that’s kind of been solidified through this program is seeing whales and organisms in the life around me as something that we’re a part of and something that we affect. And that we can’t get away from them. There’s no point in trying to pretend that they are separate. Something that we can do better is to understand and acknowledge that connection and make sure that we are using it in the best way for both parts.