Whale Exhibit

[cold waters]

Well this is where a lot of the money is going for the striper tourney

The 2008 Striped Bass Tournament for Kids will bring the 32’ foot skeleton of a young Humpback Whale to the Seacoast Science Center—creating the centerpiece of a compelling new exhibition about whales.

Bringing a whale of an exhibit to the seacoast: a distinctive approach
Whales have become the charismatic icons of the wildness, freedom and power of the sea. The very word “whale” evokes an emotional response in all of us. Whales, perhaps more than any other species, embody both the destructive and restorative power humans have in the natural world.
That is why the skeleton of a young humpback whale named Tofu makes the perfect centerpiece for a new exhibit at the Seacoast Science Center. Unlike other whale exhibits, this exhibit tells the story of a known whale: Tofu had been tracked by cetacean biologists since birth. By telling Tofu’s story, the exhibit will demonstrate how our actions on land influence life in the sea.
History:
Tofu, the daughter of Isthmus, was born in the winter of 2005 in the West Indies, most likely on the Silver or Navidad Banks off the Dominican Republic. Tofu was named for her distinctively white flukes (tail). She migrated between the Indies to the Gulf of Maine annually. She was first sited in the Great South Channel between the western end of Georges Bank and Nantucket Shoals on June 20, 2005. She had been entangled with a line or gear that left a unique scar on her throat.
On June 15, 2007, Tofu was photographed near the Stellwagen Bank at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay. Nine day later, her body was sited approximately 7 miles northwest of Provincetown (at 42 09.946’N and 70 15.369’W) by Captain John Dennen on the whale watching boat Tails of the Sea. Ironically, the shipping lane was later moved outside the area heavily used by migrating whales, including Tofu.
The Whale Exhibition Project:
As visitors enter the Center, they will come (nearly) face-to-face with Tofu: her skeleton will hang from the ceiling in a position typical of an active young whale. Although the 32’ skeleton will be the Center’s showpiece exhibit, the full whale exhibition will be comprised of a series of interpretive stations that describe a whale’s world. The stations will highlight topics such as marine ecology, comparative anatomy, migration and behavioral patterns, and humans’ changing relationship with whales. Nearly every aspect of transforming her body into an exhibit has been documented, from towing her to shore, her necroscopy, to cleaning and articulating the bones. The exhibition will include this unique behind the scenes story, and give Tofu a new life at the Seacoast Science Center.
Seacoast Science Center:
The Seacoast Science Center is a family-focused environmental educational facility that attracts visitors of all ages. The Center’s exhibits and programs focus on the Gulf of Maine. Last year, there were over 60,000 visitors; 250 school programs were conducted for 13,000 students and 500 children attended day camp. Center programs now reach school children across the country via distance learning programs in the Gregg Learning Studio.

[Riverjim]

Great post!!

Great Idea.
Tracking the life of one Whale makes it more of a personal thing.
I think that is more likely to have a significant impact on the kids, rather than the broader concepts of conservation or ecology.

I am glad you made us aware...Do you have more info on this tournament?

Jim

[Brandon-K]

Jim, CW has the info posted here:

1st annual Wentworth striper tourney for Kids

[Riverjim]

Thank you. I missed that one.

Jim