Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
It’s a creature that could potentially live to 130 years or more but has never been known to die of old age. Instead, the actual median lifespan of a North Atlantic right whale is just 22 years — every one of them killed by humans. A new documentary about the whales explores their truncated life and often brutal death with unprecedented access and clarity. From ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements to the heroic (and occasionally even fatal) efforts to save them from human hazards, The Right Whale: Tales of Resilience and Hope tracks the crisis faced by the whales and offers a prescription for change. The film is currently on what’s being called “The Calving Grounds Tour,” which follows the path of the migratory species along its annual Georgia-to-Florida path. It includes four stops in Southern Georgia and on the First Coast, including a screening and discussion with the filmmakers from 6-8 p.m. Aug. 25 at Beaches Museum.
Guests:
Cheryl Dean, filmmaker, The Right Whale: Tales of Resilience and Hope
Nick Dean, filmmaker, The Right Whale: Tales of Resilience and Hope
Chris Hoffman, mayor of Jacksonville Beach, executive director of Beaches Museum
It’s a creature that could potentially live to 130 years or more but has never been known to die of old age. Instead, the actual median lifespan of a North Atlantic right whale is just 22 years — every one of them killed by humans. A new documentary about the whales explores their truncated life and often brutal death with unprecedented access and clarity. From ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements to the heroic (and occasionally even fatal) efforts to save them from human hazards, The Right Whale: Tales of Resilience and Hope tracks the crisis faced by the whales and offers a prescription for change. The film is currently on what’s being called “The Calving Grounds Tour,” which follows the path of the migratory species along its annual Georgia-to-Florida path. It includes four stops in Southern Georgia and on the First Coast, including a screening and discussion with the filmmakers from 6-8 p.m. Aug. 25 at Beaches Museum.
Guests:
Cheryl Dean, filmmaker, The Right Whale: Tales of Resilience and Hope
Nick Dean, filmmaker, The Right Whale: Tales of Resilience and Hope
Chris Hoffman, mayor of Jacksonville Beach, executive director of Beaches Museum










