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Massachusetts

Exploring the Wild Side of Cape Cod

Program No. 25145RJ
One of New England’s most famous coastal regions, Cape Cod is for nature lovers! Experience the best Cape Cod has to offer, land and sea, from a naturalist’s point of view.

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At a Glance

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is a nature-lover’s paradise, where conservation and recreation go hand in hand. Explore the peninsula’s rich biodiversity with expert naturalists, including scientists from the world-renowned Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Learn about efforts to protect the region’s iconic wildlife — Piping Plovers, sea turtles, molas (ocean sunfish), Atlantic white sharks and gray seals — through lectures and expert-led walks in scenic nature preserves. Enjoy a morning kayak session on the tranquil waters of Popponesset Bay, an estuary teeming with salt marshes and shorebirds, and set out on unforgettable seal and whale-watching excursions that showcase the Cape’s extraordinary marine life.
Activity Level
Outdoor: No Sweat
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Get a behind-the-scenes experience at both Woods Hole and the Marine Biological Laboratory, some of the oldest and most prestigious marine research facilities in the world.
  • Learn about wildlife on Cape Cod and the actions that different organizations like the Mass Audubon Society and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy are taking to conserve them.
  • Go whale watching in the Stellwagon Bank National Marine Sanctuary and search for gray seals and sea birds at Monomoy Island.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Profile Image
Joy Marzolf
Joy Marzolf grew up in New England and has always had a passion for animals, wildlife photography, and nature. Holding a B.A. in biology, she has led a variety of animal-related education programs in her professional career. Joy has worked for years as a naturalist and educator at the Mass Audubon Society, and as a Study Leader leading trips all over the world. She is a scuba diver, and serves on the boards of the Boston Sea Rovers and the New England Aquarium Dive Club.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Carol Carson
Carol Carson View biography
Carol “Krill” Carson is a marine biologist who has worked in the New England area since 1980. She spends her summers watching whales and studying the Northern Diamondback Terrapin, a threatened species of marsh turtle. In the fall, Krill and her team rescue marine wildlife that strand on Cape Cod. Krill is the founder and president of the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA), and the author of the book “My Friend Salt: The story of Salt, the most famous humpback whale in the world!”
Profile Image of Joy Marzolf
Joy Marzolf View biography
Joy Marzolf grew up in New England and has always had a passion for animals, wildlife photography, and nature. Holding a B.A. in biology, she has led a variety of animal-related education programs in her professional career. Joy has worked for years as a naturalist and educator at the Mass Audubon Society, and as a Study Leader leading trips all over the world. She is a scuba diver, and serves on the boards of the Boston Sea Rovers and the New England Aquarium Dive Club.
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