A new exhibition that transports visitors to the vibrant underwater world of the mightiest animals on Earth, opened at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science on Friday, October 10. With life-size models and more than 20 real specimens on display—including the skeleton of a sperm whale that measures an astonishing 58 feet long—the exhibition shows why these highly intelligent mammals have been a source of human fascination for centuries. The exhibition is free with general Museum admission.
On tour from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, home to one of the largest collections of marine mammals in the world, Whales: Giants of the Deep is popular among family audiences because it features a blend of cool skulls and skeletons, hands-on objects, digital inter-actives, immersive projections, and rare artifacts.
Visitors can crawl through a life-size replica of the heart of the humongous blue whale, touch real whale teeth, build their own dolphin and see how it swims, accompany a sperm whale on a deep-sea hunt for a giant squid, see the model of a southern right whale featured in the acclaimed film Whale Rider, and enter an immersive sound chamber to hear the “songs” whales use to navigate, find food, and communicate.
Exploration stations allow visitors to examine real whale specimens from the Museum’s collections and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The exhibition experience concludes with a fun photo opportunity featuring a beautiful humpback whale.
The origin of whales extends back 50 million years, and their family tree includes dolphins, porpoises, beaked whales, and more. Whales greatly range in size, from the tiny Hector’s dolphin to the world’s largest animal, the blue whale. Although whales have an ancient history, the exhibition shows how scientists continue to make discoveries about the animals’ streamlined bodies, feeding methods, and vast migrations.
Whales: Giants of the Deep was developed and is presented by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. For more information, visit www.dmns.org/whales-giants-of-the-deep/.