Info on presentations | Inflatable whale | All-in-One Marine Biology Day | Fees
School Newsletter (PDF file) | Integrating our Programs Into Your Curriculum
Beach Cleanups & Day at the Beach Field Trip

Request a Program or More Information

Let us bring the Gulf of Maine to you!  We'd love to come to your school, library or other location to conduct an interactive program about marine life.  Our presentations are complete with photos, posters, hands-on materials, games and/or live animals that will demonstrate a variety of subjects.  Presentation topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Get "Eaten" by an Inflatable Whale! (presentation with hands-on materials and life-size inflatable fin whale - the second-largest animal in the world!)

• Traveling Tide Pools! (slideshow and live tide pool animals and plants) *NOTE: Tide pool program is available May-October only*

• Fins-N-Flukes (slideshow and hands-on activities related to whale research)

• Pollution Solutions (slide show and games related to marine debris and other threats to the ocean)

• Marine Biology Day (experience the best of our most popular programs! Click here)

• Marine Debris Presentation and Beach Cleanup. We'll come to the school with a presentation about marine debris and why we need to keep our beaches clean, and then meet you at the beach for a beach cleanup so that your students can participate in a conservation project!

Click here to Request a Program or More Information

Meet Our Life-Size Inflatable Whale!

What a great opportunity: have your students walk through an inflatable whale!

Click here for aN article in the Manchester Union Leader about this program (PDF file)

Our whale is a replica of a finback whale, the second-largest animal on Earth! It's one thing for us to tell people about the size of these amazing animals, but now students (and adults) can really get a sense of how big they are. 

The whale is made out of plastic and inflates within about 5 minutes using a house fan!  It is about 60 feet long and we only set it up inside.  If you would like a presentation with our whale, please make sure that you have a space that's at least 60 feet long (diagonal dimensions are okay) and about 20-25 feet wide. Most school gyms and multi-purpose rooms work well for this presentation.

The presentation:

Our staff members will set up the whale and provide a background presentation before students go inside (if time, this will be via a PowerPoint slide show). Students will also get to see and touch real whale baleen and other artifacts. Then they will watch the whale inflate, and go inside the whale!  Inside the whale, there's time to answer questions and figure out how many students it takes to fill up the inside of a finback whale!  Following the presentation, we can be available for a question-and-answer session and trivia game. We can also set up 2-3 stations for the students to rotate through, making for a fun, interactive day (see our All-in-One Marine Biology Day below)!

Book your date now! Fill out our inquiry form online.

Below are photos from a recent presentation featuring the inflatable whale. Click on each image for a larger version!

Program fees: Due to the generosity of the New Hampshire Coastal Program, Department of Environmental Services, we are able to offer free programs to local NH schools.  Free programs are offered on a first come, first serve basis to organizations based in communities within the NH Coastal Zone (LIST OF QUALIFYING COMMUNITIES). So that anyone who wants one can get a free program, we reserve the right to cap the amount of free programming available to any one school.

Not close to Portsmouth? We don't want other schools to miss out on our great programs, so our prices are always competitive and we will work within your budget. The following are sample program rates, which may be adjusted depending on your unique situation:

Inflatable whale program with initial PowerPoint presentation: $175 for first hour, $125 for each additional hour, plus mileage.  We can accommodate approximately 60 students in one hour.

Tide pool program featuring hands-on stations and initial PowerPoint presentation: $200 for first hour, $150 for each additional hour, plus travel (can accommodate a max. of 60 students per hour)

Introduction to Marine Life of the Gulf of Maine / Protect Our Oceans Programs: $100 for first hour, $75 for each additional hour, plus mileage (can accommodate up to 75 students per hour)

Thanks to Spectex, LLC for their generous contribution to our Marine Conservation Education Fund!

All-in-One Marine Biology Day

Want to spend the day with us? We can also arrange a day at your school so that all students, or several grades, can experience our unique program.  Our all-in-one marine biology day includes an initial assembly program with a slide show, then three stations for students to visit by classes: our inflatable whale (which they can go inside!), live tide pool animals and plants, and a hands-on station featuring real whale bones, baleen and other artifacts. We'll have our researchers/educators there throughout the day to satisfy your students' curiosity about whales and other marine life!

Program rates: $250 for initial assembly/set-up, $150 per hour thereafter (can accommodate 5-6 classes of up to 20 students per hour). Rates include the additional educators necessary for a successful Marine Biology Day.  Travel charges may also apply.

Book your date now! Fill out our inquiry form online or contact our Educational Programs Coordinator, Cynde McInnis with questions at info@blueoceansociety.org.

Join us at the beach for a beach cleanup or all-day field trip that can include a beach cleanup, tide pooling, and demonstrations on marine-related topics! Click the link below for details:
Beach Cleanups & Day at the Beach Field Trip

Other Educational Opportunities

Does your school have a community service requirement or are you looking for a fun field trip?  Here are some other ways you can help us, help marine life and learn more about the Gulf of Maine and marine conservation! Please contact us for more information - we'd love to help you arrange a variety of marine-related activities for your group!

• Pre-and Post-Program Activities: Click here for ideas for activities you can do in addition to one of your programs. Some are in the classroom, some are outside excursions.

• Beach Cleanups - click here for more information on our beach cleanups & learning objectives *Available year-round*

• Whale Watches - click here for information on the companies we work with *Available May-mid-October*

• Tide Pool Walks - let us guide you around local tide pools with a pre-tide-pooling presentation and tide pooling activities! Call or e-mail for information. *Available May-September*

• List of other marine-related educational opportunities in the seacoast NH area

Please contact us for more information using our inquiry form,
e-mail or by phone at (603) 431-0260.