The New Bedford Whaling Museum kicked off its 30th Annual Moby-Dick Marathon weekend with the Melville Scholars’ Dinner & Lecture on Friday, January 2, 2026, in the Museum’s Harbor View Gallery overlooking historic New Bedford Harbor. This special evening of insight, inspiration, and fellowship honored three decades of the Museum’s beloved Moby-Dick Marathon — a tradition that celebrates Herman Melville’s enduring masterpiece and its timeless connections to literature, history, and the sea.
This year’s marathon featured Mass. Poet Laureate Regie Gibson reading the famous opening line, “Call me Ishmael.”
Actor Steven Weber took his turn at the podium, reading the final chapter on Sunday morning.
Local Theatre Group, Culture*Park, performed Chapter 40, “Midnight on the Forecastle,” in the museum’s Cook Memorial Theater.
This year’s attendance was in the 3000 range, breaking a record.
Learn more at https://www.whalingmuseum.org
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- Spectators, reading along, erupt in applause during the 30th annual Moby-Dick Marathon at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on 1/4/26. Photo courtesy of Drew Furtado, NB Whaling Museum.
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- Two spectators follow along on an electronic reader during the 30th annual Moby-Dick Marathon held at the New Bedford Whaling Museum from Saturday 1/3 to Sunday, 1/4/26. Photo courtesy of Drew Furtado, NB Whaling Museum.
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- Massachusetts Poet Laureat, Regie Gibson, reads the first chapter during the 30th annual Moby-Dick Marathon at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on 1/4/26. Photo courtesy of Drew Furtado, NB Whaling Museum.
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- Actor Steven Weber reads the last chapter with a thunderous performance during the 30th annual Moby-Dick Marathon at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on 1/4/26. Photo courtesy of Drew Furtado, NB Whaling Museum.
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Click here to download the 1/8/26 issue: 01-08-26 PolarPlunge
Click here to download the shed judgment and memo of decision: 12-29-25 ShedMemo_Judgment
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