When you visit theNAT to see Whales: Giants of the Deep, continue your cetacean exploration in other areas of the Museum. Go on a scavenger hunt for whales throughout the Museum to get an appreciation for the evolution and anatomy of these majestic animals.

The fin whale is the second largest mammal in the world, behind the blue whale, and it feeds on relatively tiny prey it strains through its baleen. Starting in Whales: Giants of the Deep in the Legler-Benbough Exhibition Hall, feel the vertebra and rib of this giant and see how baleen works to contain krill, squid, and schools of small fish.

Next, check out Water: A California Story on level 1 to see a fin whale skull—the impressive size will give you an idea of just how long its 80-foot long, 80-ton body is in the open ocean.

On level 2, visit Fossil Mysteries to view the skull of an extinct fin whale. Collected from the Chula Vista area of San Diego County, this fossil is 3.5 million years old and represents the Pliocene Epoch of our geological history.

From there, head across level 2 to Coast to Cactus in Southern California—you’ll be moving from southern California’s prehistoric past to its biological present. In this exhibition, learn more about Museum researcher Ray Gilmore, the father of modern-day whale watching, and his role in bringing attention to the shrinking numbers of the California gray whale.

Whales: Giants of the Deep is just the start of your whale adventure. Find your own whale route through the Museum. By visiting Fossil Mysteries, Coast to Cactus in Southern California, and Water: A California Story you can more learn about these amazing creatures. Don’t miss additional programming at theNAT, including 2D and 3D films focusing on our oceans as well as whale watching excursions in partnership with Hornblower Cruises and Events. There is so much more to discover when you dive deeper at theNAT.

Posted by The Nat.