| Summary: | Gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) are a large phocid species of pinniped found in coastal waters encircling the North Atlantic Ocean. In the Western Atlantic, large concentrations of gray seals can be found in New England – Cape Cod in particular – as well as Sable Island off the coast of Nova Scotia. Whereas gray seals were nearly extirpated from New England by the 1950’s after centuries of both commercial exploitation and targeted bounty programs, U.S. federal laws protecting all marine mammals since the 1970’s have allowed gray seals to recover to population sizes not seen in over 200 years. Currently, between 30,000-50,000 gray seals permanently reside in Cape Cod alone. Gray seals have provided economic opportunity as well as a new avenue through which to educate the public about the significance of marine mammal conservation. There are currently five seal cruise businesses in Cape Cod and Nantucket that ferry visitors, eager to see and learn about marine wildlife, to and from gray seal haul outs. Peak season for seal cruises occurs between mid-summer and early-fall; they last for about two hours and are afforded the backdrop of (ideally) warm sunny weather in addition to beautiful coastal scenery. Seal cruise captains, operators, and guides also spend a significant portion of their time during each cruise offering information about gray seals, the state of Cape Cod’s marine ecosystem, and general history of Cape Cod. Given that they occur in a non-formal setting and appeal to visitors who elect to spend their free time learning about marine life, seal cruises are an ideal scenario in which interpretive communication techniques might help enhance conservation messaging as well as the overall visitor experience during a seal cruise. Interpretation is a form of communication best suited for non-formal education settings where the information presented all serves to directly strengthen a specific message or theme. Programs that apply interpretation are highly structured in their presentation of information, ...
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