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☀️ A Real Life Moby Dick

☀️ A Real Life Moby Dick

Plus: The lobster roll hidden in a parking lot

Cape Coddah
June 12, 2026

In partnership with

Good morning Cape Cod. Today marks day 163 of 2026, which means we've burned through 44% of the year. How are those resolutions you made in January doing? Don't worry, summer is its own kind of reset.

In this week’s Cape Coddah:

The Cape Baseball League returns
The squid hits the sand
Events and live music

Let’s get to it.

🇺🇸 8,000 Gallons Saves the Fourth of July

Nantucket's beloved Fourth of July water fight on Main Street is back on after a quick save.

Just one day after the town canceled the annual tradition for the second year in a row due to Level 2 drought conditions, a group of Nantucket businesses and West Bridgewater-based JP Noonan Transportation came together to truck in 8,000 gallons of donated water from the mainland.

The water arrives July 2 and will be used in the fire department's tankers for the event. None of it comes from the town's water supply. Nantucket has been getting roughly half its normal annual precipitation for three straight years. Just four inches have fallen so far in 2026.

Residents and businesses are still being asked to restrict outdoor water use, but the water fight itself is officially on. Read more»

🐳 A Real-Life Moby Dick

A 174-page journal from a Nantucket whaling voyage just sold at auction for over $9,000. Written by crewman William E. Johnson aboard the whaleship Maria between 1832 and 1836, the journal reads like something straight out of "Moby Dick."

Johnson's entries include a chilling encounter with a sperm whale that attacked the whaleboats, with men and oars flying through the air, an event veteran whalers called the worst they had ever seen. He also wrote about a Fourth of July celebration ashore in 1835, sharks circling the ship, terrifying storms, and quiet moments under starlit skies.

The Nantucket-based ship traveled around Cape Horn, visited Chile, Mexico, Japan, and Hawaii, and captured 30 whales in 1834 alone. So check those attics, you never know what you might find. Read more»

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⚾️ The Cape League Is Back

The 2026 Cape Cod Baseball League season is here, and there's nothing quite like it. Games are still free, but the teams are non-profits that depend on the community, so when you see the donation bucket come around, that's how this 100-plus-year-old tradition keeps going.

Parking is free at all ten ballparks, but get there early to grab a spot and soak in the warm-ups. Bring your own chair or a blanket for the grassy hills, and don't forget a sweatshirt because the Cape cools off fast once the sun dips.

The concession stands are part of the magic with classic burgers and hot dogs at small-town prices. Bring your glove for foul balls, your cash for donations, and your dog for "Bark in the Park" nights.
Read more»

📸 @jeffkrehely |📍Herring Cove

Tag @thecapecoddah to get your photos in the Coddah!

🦑 When the Squid Hit the Sand

Hundreds of squid washed up dead along Provincetown's beaches last week, stretching from the West End all the way to Beach Point. As expected, rumors started flying that toxic waste was the cause. The real explanation is much less dramatic.

Squid live fast and die young. They reproduce in massive numbers, lay their eggs, and then their bodies literally start to break down. Add striped bass chasing them in a feeding frenzy, plus wind and tide pushing them ashore, and you've got a beachfront covered in squid.

Interestingly, the gulls mostly left them alone, likely because the egg sacs contain a toxin that makes them unpalatable to predators. Something similar happened in 2017 and was apparently a common occurrence back in the 70s and 80s.
Read more»

The Garden Club of Harwich spread some joy around town last week by placing 72 small "Lonely Bouquets" in public spots as part of a global random-acts-of-kindness movement.

Two neighboring homes on the eroding cliffs above Nauset Light Beach in Eastham are being demolished after years of coastal erosion finally caught up to them.

Brewster has a plan to sewer over 300 homes, but don't panic. The town has no actual plans to install sewers anywhere, and the proposal exists only because state rules require a backup wastewater plan.

🛻 The Lobster Roll Hidden in a Parking Lot

The Lazy Lobstah and Grill in Forestdale is heading into its fourth season, and business has roughly doubled every year. Owner James Grandmont and his partner Lisa Silvia spotted the opportunity while driving down Route 130 one day and realizing there was nowhere to eat along that stretch.

They opened in the parking lot of Russo's Cape Cod Bark & Landscape in August of their first year. The truck is one of over two dozen food trucks now part of a growing Cape Cod scene.

The Lazy Lobstah is known for its overstuffed lobster rolls (the Grand goes for $38, the Baby Grand for $27), plus grilled subs, dogs, and burgers. Open Monday through Saturday from 11 to 3, with longer hours coming once summer hits. Read more»

WATCH: A fisherman accidentally caught a great white shark while fishing off Nantucket on Sunday.

The Martha's Vineyard Shellfish Group is celebrating 50 years of supporting the island's quahog, scallop, and oyster populations.

A 31-acre, 12-bedroom coastal compound called Great Point in Edgartown just hit the market for $49M, which would set a new state real estate record if it sells at asking price.

The Cape Coddah is 100% free to read and independently owned (written by me).

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Thank you for your support!
~Kari

⚖️ Orleans Judge Pleads Not Guilty

Orleans District Court Judge Robert A. Welsh III pleaded not guilty Thursday to assault and battery charges tied to an alleged domestic violence incident in Sandwich in January 2025.

Welsh, 60, was released on personal recognizance and is set to return to court on July 17. The case is being handled by Suffolk County prosecutors to avoid conflicts. According to court records, the woman told investigators that Welsh repeatedly told her he was "untouchable" because of his position as a judge.

She also described him as a heavy drinker who often showed up to work hungover. She alleges he physically assaulted her twice, first in Las Vegas in 2021 and again in Sandwich in January 2025. Welsh is currently on administrative leave from Orleans District Court. Read more»

👋 Meet: Desdamona
🐾 Dutch Shepherd
🎂 7 years old
♀︎ Female
Available to adopt at MSCPA-Cape Cod

SUNDAY - JUNE 14

Bryce Thomas @ CC Winery | 12 PM
Kate Lorraine @ Love Farms | 1 PM
Cory Conant @ Shipwrecked | 2 PM
Bree Perry @ Island Pickle | 3 PM
High Attitude @ Red Nun | 3 PM
Liam & Jonny @ Off the Grid | 4 PM
The Kingfish @ CC MOA | 4 PM
Chase Kinsky @ The Black Cat | 5 PM
Through the Doors @ Neptune’s CC | 5 PM
Chris Richardson @ Chapin’s Bayside | 5 PM
Half a Mind @ The Woodshed | 5 PM
Dylan Wheaton @ Hooked Bar & Grille | 6 PM
Cold Start Band @ Love Farms | 6 PM
Bobby Paluzzi @ Margaritaville | 7 PM

_{Nothing in this section is sponsored. We'll let you know when something's sponsored.}

Friday

81 🌡️ 67 | 🌦️ | 💧 55% | 💨 SSW 8 mph

Saturday

83 🌡️ 64 | 🌤️ | 💧 1% | 💨 NE 8 mph

Sunday

83 🌡️ 65 | 🌤️ | 💧 4% | 💨 SW 12 mph

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 60ºF

19 Coveview Drive, S. Yarmouth
Asking $649,000
4 🛏️
3 🛁
2,711 sqft
0.47 acre lot

_{Nothing in this section is sponsored. We'll always let you know when something's sponsored.}

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