
June 21, 2010 - Today is not only the first day of summer, it's also the 2nd Annual Quahog Day. The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce is hosting a ceremony at 4 p.m. today on the boardwalk in Sandwich. The ceremony will be followed by live music from the local band Black Wampum which sings about Quahogs, free samples of Polar Cave Ice Cream's flavor "Doug's Mud"(named in honor of Doug the Quahog), and a Quahog Day bash, co-sponsored with the Sandwich Chamber of Commerce. All proceeds of a 50-50 raffle at the event will benefit the National Marine Life Center in Buzzards Bay. Quahog related events will be taking place around the Cape this week. Find details at CapeCodChamber.org
April 7, 2010 - The Division of Marine Fisheries has closed an area in Orleans to shellfishing because of red tide. The closed area is described as the Nauset Marsh System area "south of a line drawn east from the northern tip of Weeset Point (at the end of Tonset Rd) in the Town of Orleans to the Eastham-Orleans town boundary marker located on the northern-most tip of Tern Island in the Town of Orleans and continuing east to Nauset Beach. This area includes Mill Pond, Roberts Cove and a portion of Nauset Harbor in Orleans." Shellfish in this area have been found with Paralutic Shellfish Poison Toxin ("Red Tide") from the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense.
April 1, 2010 - According to WESH Channel 2 in Orlando a guy was getting into his truck outside of a sushi restaurant yesterday when a fish dropped from the sky onto his windshield. The guy picked up the still flopping fish (thought to have squirmed free from a bird's talons) and brought it into the restaurant. The fish was put into a pot of water and swam around while its fate was considered. Sushi, sashimi, maybe in a roll with avocado and daikon... But then it was decided that this was a lucky fish and that he should spared. The fish, with a dent in its head, is now swimming in a tank at Chameleon's Fusion Bistro in Melbourne, FL. April fools? Here's a link to WESH with video.
March 11, 2010 - The Hump, a Santa Monica CA sushi restaurant that's favored by Hollywood celebrities, is under investigation for serving endangered Sei whale. The investigation was instigated by the director Louie Psihoyos, who recently won an Oscar for The Cove, a documentary on the slaughter of dolphins in Japan. Psihoyos co-ordinated a sushi sting operation from the restaurant's parking lot. The Hump (named after the flight route over the Himalayas) charged $600 for the "omakase" (chef's choice) meal that included the Sei whale. The restaurant's owners are now liable for a fine of up to $20,000 and possible time in jail. Here's more from UK Guardian.
ape Waterfront Pixels Contest. Enter your images of Cape Cod's waterfront - beaches, piers, fishing boats, captains, crew, beachcombers, surfers, lifeguards, harbors, restaurants, water activities, seafood, sea life... if it's a great image that says "waterfront + Cape Cod" then it's a contender. The Grand Prize is a $299 Canon PowerShot D10 camera from Orleans Camera. Details here.