NOAA Sets New Vessel Slow Zone Off Nantucket to Protect Whales
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has set a new seasonal slow zone for vessels in waters south of Nantucket to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales, according to a maritime safety notice picked up in national coverage this week. Mariners transiting the area are being asked to reduce speed as the whales move through the region.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
"NOAA Issues New Right Whale Slow Zones Off Massachusetts Coast" is the headline atop a Forth News report on the federal action, which asks mariners transiting waters south of Nantucket to slow down under a marine-safety advisory identified as SEC SENE BNM 0085-26. Per Forth News, the zone is part of a broader effort to protect the endangered right whale population along the Massachusetts coast. (read it at https://www.forth.news/stories/CZxnGgF61E4iFa1d7fUsR)
"In Nantucket, where over half of homes are for seasonal use, workers struggle to find ..." reads the headline on a Planetizen report examining the island's year-round housing crunch. Per Planetizen, with a majority of Nantucket's housing stock sitting empty outside the summer season, the workers who staff the island's restaurants, shops and services are increasingly priced out or unable to find places to live. (read it at https://www.planetizen.com/news/2026/07/138048-nantucket-where-over-half-homes-are-seasonal-use-workers-struggle-find)
"Seen on the Scene: 2026 Artists Association of Nantucket Gala" was the headline on a society-page recap from The Inquirer and Mirror, chronicling the Artists Association of Nantucket's annual auction gala at the Great Harbor Yacht Club. According to the Inquirer and Mirror, the event drew local art patrons and supporters of the island's artist community. (read it at https://www.ack.net/lifestyle/seen-on-the-scene-2026-artists-association-of-nantucket-gala/article_bf971b5d-af0b-46a3-9d11-809be636a448.html)
Compiled from official town feeds, community organizations, and local press. Outside reporting is attributed inline.