whales on which his business relied. Much
like the beautiful landscape of the island
itself, whales have always been a part of life
on Campobello, and as such, they are often
taken for granted. Mac soon discovered,
however, that playing host to a group of
visitors who had never seen a whale, much
less been almost close enough to touch one,
can change even the most seasoned local’s
perspective.
In 2003, Mac was asked to head up the
newly formed, Campobello Whale Rescue
Team. 5 years later, this acclaimed group
(comprised entirely of local fisherman and
still led by Mac) is the area’s first response
to any and all whale rescue efforts in and
around the Bay of Fundy (see article).
In 2004, he joined the New England
Aquarium (Boston, MA) as the Marine
Operations Manager for Right Whale
Research. Concurrently, he served as the
Canadian Large Whale Disentanglement
Coordinator at the Center for Coastal
Studies (Provincetown, MA) from 2005
until 2007. When Mac completed the level 5
Whale Disentanglement certification
program in 2005, he joined only a handful
of other men and women on the eastern
seaboard to have done so.
For over 16 years, Mac has sought both a
higher education and a greater personal
understanding of his small corner of the
Atlantic Ocean.
Mac grew up on Campobello, and
like most island sons, he began his
oceanic career very early, owning his
first boat when he was 13. He spent
the next 5 summers aboard various
island purse seiners (pop up
windows) and tending local weirs
(pop up window)
Upon graduation from Campobello
Island Consolidated School, he
enrolled at New Brunswick
Community College (St. Andrews,
NB) for what would become the first
of many marine certification
programs, eventually continuing his
education at both Holland College
Marine Center (Summerside, PEI)
and Caraquet School of Fisheries
(Caraquet, NB).
In 1995, Mac endeavored to open the
island’s first, official whale watch
tour company, Island Cruises.
As his business grew, so did his deep
appreciation for the awe-inspiring
 |
| MAC GREENE |
 |
The 37-foot "Mister Matthew" is a
traditional Bay of Fundy fishing
vessel called a Cape Islander, an
inshore motor fishing boat, designed
with a single-keeled flat bottom at
the stern, and a more rounded
profile at the bow.
The distinctive shape and style of
the boat is largely credited to
Ephraim Atkinson of Clark's
Harbour, Nova Scotia (circ. 1907),
which is from where the common
nickname, Novi boat is derived.
One of the great appeals of the Novi
is that fisherman can easily change
the gear and rigging, making them
an extremely versatile boat, used
for trapping lobster, dragging for
scallops, catching ground fish or, in
our case, whalewatching.
Our ship was originally purposed as
a lobster boat on the Nova Scotia
shore for ten years before we
acquired her for conversion to a
passenger vessel.
 |
She is Coast Guard approved for 20
passengers, equipped with a lifeboat, and
goes through a rigorous inspection every
year by Transport Canada for your safety.
On board, you'll find plenty of life jackets,
seating, and clean restroom facilities.
passengers, equipped with a lifeboat, and
goes through a rigorous inspection every
year by Transport Canada for your safety.
On board, you'll find plenty of life jackets,
seating, and clean restroom facilities.
| EST. 1989 |
What began with the basic desire to make a
living and carve out a life for his family in
this small, fishing community, has evolved
into a profound sense of responsibility and
an overwhelming urge to protect the
marine life that share the Bay of Fundy
with him. Since its inception, the
Campobello Whale Rescue team has saved
over 30 different whales from the fishing
equipment entanglements (and inevitable
death) that has become an unfortunate
consequence of nature and commercial
activity co-existence in the Fundy and
Pasamaquoddy bays.
With expertise in both marine navigation
and operation, and marine mammal
research, passengers aboard the Mister
Matthew, Island Cruises whale watch
vessel, can be assured of not only of a
spectacular opportunity to observe Atlantic
whales in their summer habitat, but that the
safety of both whale and spectator alike
will be overseen by one of the industry's
leading experts.
When he’s not rescuing whales or leading
expeditions, Mac Greene is a Transport
Canada Approved Marine Navigation
Instructor at the NBCC (St. Andrews, NB).
He lives on Campobello with his wife
Michelle, and their two children, Jeremy
and Jessica.
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