OCEAN CITY — The public is invited to the beach at Ninth Street on Dec. 9 to participate in a Christmas tree decorating and lighting ceremony to honor the whales that died this past year along the East Coast while, according to organizers, offshore wind development and sonar testing were under way.
As reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there have been 83 large whale strandings along the Atlantic coast since Dec. 1, 2022. Locally, humpback whales have suffered high fatality rates. In 2023 alone, NOAA statistics show, at least 13 humpback whales have been stranded in New York and New Jersey.
The number of other sea creatures — dolphins, porpoises, turtles — that have died totals 414, according to ceremony organizers who have tracked data from government agencies and maritime research sources.
At the tree trimming event, participants can eat whale cookies, sip hot chocolate and help decorate the tree while showing support for marine conservation. The event is scheduled to kick off at 2 p.m.
At one station, participants can write messages on clam shell ornaments that have been painted with blue backgrounds. At another, they can decorate wooden whale ornaments.
Those interested also are welcome to bring their own whale, shell or sea life ornaments to place on the Christmas tree, which has been donated by Corson’s Christmas Tree Farm in Seaville. Adding to the festivities, there will be Christmas caroling and holiday music.
The tree will be lit at sunset. The event, which is free to the public, will open with prayer and conclude with the singing of “Silent Night” and a candlelight vigil.
Nancy Hutchinson, who lives in Ocean City, came up with the idea of the tree trimming to pay tribute to the lost whales and sea creatures. Kathleen Harper, a Dennisville resident who grew up in Marmora and spent her childhood summers on the 34th Street beach in Ocean City, has helped organize the event with support from local volunteers and organizations such as Protect Our Coast NJ, Guardians of the East Coast and Save the East Coast.
“I thought a tree lighting on the beach would be the perfect memorial for the whales and sea creatures we’ve lost — a way to honor them. At the same time, we can celebrate all of the hard work local citizens have been doing to oppose offshore wind projects,” Hutchinson said, adding that the event is a great way to educate children about wind turbines and their harmful effects on sea life.
The debate on the effect of wind turbine projects on whales and other marine life pits environmentalists against government agencies.
Ocean activists maintain that sonar used to map sea beds in preparation for wind turbine placement confuses whales and causes them to move into shallower waters where they are more susceptible to being struck by a vessel or stranding.
A report issued Nov. 2 by Save Long Beach Island Inc. members and a Rutgers University professor states, “The elevated noise levels from the survey devices are in the frequency range of the whales’ hearing and vocalizations, and will disturb their behavior which can then lead indirectly to serious harm and fatality.”
Meanwhile, federal and state government agencies including the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection have denied any connection between whale deaths and offshore wind energy surveys.
“There are no known links between recent large whale mortalities and ongoing wind surveys,” the NOAA states.
Hutchinson and other environmentalists note that grassroots efforts to oppose offshore wind development appear to have worked. Notably, Danish utility firm Ørsted has announced it will cease development of the Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2 projects. Ocean Wind 1 called for as many as 98 wind turbines 15 miles off the coast of the Atlantic and Cape May counties.
While Ørsted cited economic factors, local ocean activists believe organized pushback from the community was a driving force in company’s decision to cease development of the wind projects.
But they concede the battle is not over. Ørsted still owns the lease to the area and could sell it or develop it at a later time. In addition, Atlantic Shores is still moving forward with offshore wind development between Brigantine and Long Beach Island. Hutchinson and Harper say grassroots groups are poised to continue the fight against offshore wind projects.
They expect the tree trimming event to be both “somber and joyous.”
“You can have a festive time while honoring our whales,” Harper said.
By ALICE URBANSKI/Special to the Sentinel