Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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In 2004, the tragic stranding of a 33-foot sperm whale carcass on a shore at Cape Lookout sparked an ocean conservation movement. Natural sciences curator Keith Rittmaster shares how that experience evolved into the Bonehenge Whale Center, a world-class sanctuary for marine research and rebirth in Beaufort, NC. Today, Bonehenge stands as a premier facility for the study and display of the 34 cetacean species that call North Carolina’s waters home.

Best of Our State
Enjoy treasured stories straight from the pages of Our State magazine. Host Elizabeth Hudson, editor in chief of Our State, will take you on a trip down memory lane for all the beauty and culture North Carolina has to offer.

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