Coastal New England has so many seasons: Nor’easter season, boat season, cranberry season, foliage season and of course, whale season.

With our impressive population of whales – including the annual pod of right whales – returning and whaling tours operating again, it’s the all about the cetacean.

This year, Boston has a great way to celebrate them, thanks to the folks at Nantucket Crisps (nantucketcrisps.com).

Whale Jam, a May 16 concert at Roadrunner in Boston (roadrunnerboston.com), brings together top musicians to perform in support of WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation (us.whales.org) based out of Plymouth.

This is the concert’s first Boston run; last year the company put on three smaller concerns across New England. When Nantucket Crisps founders Hayden Arnot and Sara Jemison – childhood friends from Nantucket – saw the response to those concerts they decided to go big.

Now, Whale Jam offers a night of music in support of whales. And with a tiny bit of planning, you can spend an entire day indulging in whaling season fun.

Arnot and Jemison decided to focus on helping protect whales when they founded the company during the pandemic.

“Nantucket has a storied whaling history,” Arnot said, “and you really cannot go anywhere in Nantucket without a whaling reference.”

But, he added, not all that is good.

“Whales were truly overhunted,” he said. They realized that with the founding of their company, they could, he said, “Help right a wrong.”

“All our efforts focus on the Atlantic right whale,” he said.

Melissa Walker of WDC noted that there are fewer than 360 known right whales in existence today, with less than 70 producing females. With many of them grouping off the coast of New England this time of year, they are in danger of accidental entanglements and vessel strikes. With the help of Whale Jam funding, she said, they are working at replacing long, dangerous lobster trap lines with whale-friendly fishing gear.

Whaling excursions have begun for the season, and according to a Facebook post by Captain John Boats (captjohn.com), the whales are plentiful, active and viewable already.

In Boston, you can head into town early and hop aboard a Boston Harbor Cruise (cityexperiences.com) and get up close with the very creatures you’ll be helping at Whale Jam. Cruises leave Long Wharf at varied times each day and take you way out near Stellwagen Bank for a few hours of whale watching bliss. There’s snacks and drinks on board as well as indoor spots to warm up – dress warm this time of year; it’s always colder out on the water.

The concert lineup includes Dave Shaw, Jonathan Russell of The Head and The Heart, Taylor Meier of Caamp, Marc Roberge of OAR, Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy, Joshua Harmon of The Backseat Lovers, Yoke Lore, Briston Maroney, and Adam Melchor.

“You get drawn in by the music you love and walk away with a mission,” Jemison said. “And that’s really what this is all about – inspiring others to care about these whales too.”

For tickets, visit roadrunnerboston.com

Taylor Meier of Caamp (Photo courtesy Nantucket Crisps)

Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy (Photo courtesy Nantucket Crisps)