Sperm whale, tribe land, sailing history: Cape Cod Times top stories

Jason Savio, Cape Cod Times

Sun, November 30, 2025 at 10:04 AM UTC

4 min read

The holidays are here and so is another round of top stories from the Cape Cod Times website.

Every week we gather together some of the most popular stories with readers on the Times website from the past week and put them together in a comprehensive list. If you find something that piques your interest, just click on the link attached to it and read the story in full.

It's not just news that you can enjoy. Take a look at the Cape Cod Times sports page for all the latest local high school sports updates, including the Thanksgiving matchup between Falmouth and Barnstable, complete with a photo gallery.

And for those looking to get in on the holiday fun, visit the Things To Do page, where we have a list of all the different holiday celebrations happening on the Cape.

Here are the four most popular stories with readers on the Cape Cod Times website from the past week.

Nantucket sperm whale towed to sea after exam, cause of death unknown

A roughly 50-foot male sperm whale washed ashore on Nantucket on Nov. 16, 2025. Responders scheduled a limited on-site necropsy on Nov. 21 ahead of plans to tow the remains out to sea. All activities are being conducted under NOAA MMHSRP Permit #24359.

A Nov. 21 examination of the 52-ton sperm whale that recently washed ashore on the north shore of Nantucket did not reveal any obvious causes of the animal's death, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare on Cape Cod.

The whale's remains were later towed about 50 miles out to sea, east of the island. According to the Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket, the whale was moved with help of an excavator and a tugboat.

The roughly 50-foot male sperm whale washed up on 40th Pole Beach on Nov. 16.

Click the link to learn more about this endangered species and a special memorial that was held for this whale.

More: Nantucket sperm whale towed to sea after exam, cause of death unknown

Yarmouth providing help for drivers through the sewer work detours

Revoli Construction crews at work on a section of Rt. 28 with the intersection of Neptune Lane in South Yarmouth as part of the town's ongoing sewer work. Photo taken on November 21, 2025

In an effort to keep the public up to speed on the continual changes with the ongoing sewer project along Route 28, the town of Yarmouth has added an officer-in-charge for each contractor who checks on the work each day. Police officers also are stationed at some of the road closures to guide drivers about the detours and direct traffic.

“We’re trying to educate the public,” said Laurie Ruszala, water and wastewater superintendent in the Public Works Department.

Click the story link for an update on the project and what to expect when the next phase begins.

More: Yarmouth providing help for drivers through the sewer work detours

One-acre donation to Herring Pond tribe in Bourne may preserve graves

UMASS Boston researchers Trace Podder, left, and John Schoenfelder, take measurement using a laser recording an area atop Burying Hill in Bourne. Photo Taken on May 3, 2025

After an initial dispute over a tribal burial ground, Bourne property owner Steven Kahian and the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe have come into agreement after Kahian's decision to donate land to the tribe.

The donated land is part of a 2.1-acre lot where a mixed-use commercial building is planned and abuts Burying Hill, a sacred site where thousands of tribal ancestors are believed to be buried. The Bourne Planning Board has approved Kahian's redevelopment plans.

"I applaud the applicant for working with the tribe on this," said Planning Board member Christopher Farrell.

Click the story link to learn more about Burying Hill and its history.

Tribal burial ground: One-acre donation to Herring Pond tribe in Bourne may preserve graves

How one man helps preserve Woods Hole’s sailing history

Edward Theiler III holds a Knockabout sailboat model that he is working on. He has a space set up to work on his model boats at Atria Woodbriar Place in Falmouth where he lives.
Photo taken Nov. 6, 2025 — Edward Theiler III holds a Knockabout sailboat model that he is working on. He has a space set up to work on his model boats at Atria Woodbriar Place in Falmouth where he lives. Photo taken Nov. 6, 2025

The Woods Hole Historical Museum's Small Boat Museum has an unsung hero in 88-year-old Ed Theiler, who refurbishes model boats for the museum, often creating half hull scale models. He recently completed restoring a scale model of an Inuit kayak that had languished in a corner of the museum for more than half a century.

"I got interested not only in the boats, but the culture and the history," explained Theiler, when talking about his rekindled love for a hobby that started as model building when he was a youth.

Click the story link to learn more about Theiler's work and contributions to the museum.

Ed Theiler: His hands, his craft, his boats: How one man helps preserve Woods Hole’s sailing history

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod Times top stories: Sperm whale towed to sea, more

About Our Ads

Source