Royal Ontario Museum has a special exhibition on the largest creature on earth: blue whale. This exhibition is important not only in terms of global research on this mysterious animal, but also, it is a story close to home for Canadians; the exhibition showcases a Canadian effort on preservation and study of species.
Here is the background story:
In 2014, 9 blue whales were trapped and died on the coast of Newfoundland. Their loss represents about 3% of the Northwest Atlantic’s blue whale population; in Canada that’s almost equivalent to the human population of Saskatchewan. Blue whales usually sink when they die, but in an unusual occurrence two of the blue whales washed ashore in Trout River and Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador, offering an unprecedented opportunity for research.
A team of researchers and staff from the ROM salvaged one of the whales, preserved its bone and its heart, which was a first time internationally.
This exhibition is very well put together; it is both informative and interactive. In addition, it is aesthetically pleasing. I was in awe when I saw the complete skeleton of the blue whale in the middle of the room. It really made me aware of the world that we live in, and I cannot help but feeling so small. I learned a lot about these majestic giants, and the hard and often less celebrated work that put into exhibitions like this by scientists and researchers.
This exhibition is enjoyable to all ages and I recommend you to check it out. Out of the Depths will be at the ROM until September 4th, 2017.
Link to this special exhibition: https://www.rom.on.ca/en/blue-whale
Related reads:
The Whale: in Search of the Giants of the Sea
I’m so stoked about this exhibition! Can’t wait till I get the chance to go take a look! It’s even more incredible that the diet of these behemoths consists primarily of tiny organisms in the sea – it really makes you wonder how much they have to eat every day in order to grow to that size.