In July 2022, Cynde was presented with the Visionary Award from the Gulf of Maine Council. This award recognizes 2 people in each state or province surrounding the Gulf of Maine (MA, NH, ME, NB and NS) for innovation, creativity, and commitment to protecting the marine environment. What an honor!
There is no better way to help students understand how the structures of animals help them survive than sitting inside a life-size whale as a true whale expert explains it all. My students were riveted to her every word — one of the best enrichment programs we've ever had at our school.
My students absolutely loved the Whalemobile! The presentation was incredibly engaging — they left with real knowledge about whales and how to protect the ocean environment. Weeks later, they're still talking about it.
Many students were left with a desire to learn more about whales, their life cycles, and habits. Students were also inspired by your story of following your passion. It got them thinking about their own passions, and what decisions they can make today to help them in the pursuit of those dreams.
Good stuff, great conversation. I asked the students what stood out to them, and I got a variety of detailed answers — a good sign that the content was rich and engaging. Compelling, relevant, and I loved the imagery, the stats and data, the maps and graphs.
We were unsure about adding more virtual to virtual learning, but the Whalemobile show was set apart. Cynde's upbeat and interactive show kept the students engaged, asking and answering questions. The 2‑day structure worked well for us, and we're hoping to have the virtual Whalemobile back at the start of next school year!
Cynde joined our group of 50 third graders for an interactive presentation on whales and conservation. She has a natural ability to draw students in as she discusses whale anatomy and behavior, and the children especially loved hearing different whale sounds and seeing her life-sized humpback model, Nile.
We've had the pleasure of hosting Cynde and her Whalemobile for years, and when an in-person visit wasn't possible, her virtual program became the highlight of our distance learning — complete with real whale teeth and baleen on screen, and Nile inflated outside her house for students to visit in person.
The experience was so cool — I thought it was for a younger audience, but I found myself super engaged. It was great information not only about whales and how they relate to your planet, but also how we can protect the whales and what we can do on land to help. Thank you to all who had a part in creating and bringing this experience to our children!
Magnificent program! Nile and Cynde are the best program we have offered our patrons. We were so impressed by the professionalism, the timely educational outcomes, and the highly organized skills from Cynde. A fabulous program for our families — the WOW factor is unmatched by any other program our library has ever selected. Highly recommended for all ages!
The whole community was so excited by the Whalemobile! I truly believe one of the reasons we had such great participation in our Summer Program was the anticipation built by the whale's visit. We had a great crowd for the day, and even the children who weren't going inside the whale enjoyed seeing it in the library and joining our whale-related crafts and activities. Cynde was extremely easy to work with, friendly, and prompt — I'd have her back anytime!
"Thank you for teaching me more about whales. I really love whales now, they are really cool. It is my favorite animal now!! I appreciate it very much."
3rd Grade
"Thank you for letting us go inside your blow-up whales! It was so much fun! I learned so much about whales. I was so surprised at how big a whale's heart is. Nile is my favorite. (don't tell any of the other whales) 🙂 Try to find Nile and the whale with the smile on its tail!"
3rd GradeI loved this talk and I thought it was super fun to go into the whale. I would totally do it again even though I know what she's going to talk about. Cynde was really entertaining and it was super engaging. My favorite part was hearing about her personal stories and experiences.
I really enjoyed hearing about not only whales but Cynde's story as well. It's really cool to see all the different ways we can do things we enjoy in ways we've never thought of. Cynde was very open, kind, and excited — it's always nice to see people enjoy what they're teaching. (This was after seeing the S.T.E.A.M. Your Passion presentation.)
Video
Cynde was featured on New England news show Chronicle for her Guinness World Record for having the largest collection of whale-related items — 1,347!
Watch on Chronicle
Podcast
Dr. Ashley Scarlett (Dr. Scarlett Smash) has Cynde McInnis on the show to talk about her inflatable whale used for whale education and conservation outreach.
Listen Now
Article
During the summer tour of 2023, we stopped in Delaware, OH, and had a spectacular event with the Delaware County Library.
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Video
In 2015, the Whalemobile visited eight schools across three states — here's the story from our stop at Zionsville Elementary in Indianapolis, IN.
Watch the Story
Video
Cynde spent a whale watch with Nan Hauser of the Cetacean Research and Conservation team and the crew of Chronicle.
See Nan's Story
Article
Cynde arrived in San Francisco for the Biennial Society for Marine Mammalogy conference after a cross-country road trip with a 43-foot inflatable humpback whale.
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