See what it’s like to stand beside – and inside – a life-sized humpback whale in the “Giant Walk-In Whale Exhibit,” part of the special fun Jan. 7-16 when The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk invites guests to “Celebrate Whales.”
This special week welcomes the return of a 43-foot inflatable humpback whale into the Aquarium’s central Newman’s Own Hall.
“Guests can stand next to the whale to get a real sense of the scale of a whale,” said Tom Frankie, the Aquarium’s exhibits manager. “Learning about whales, how big they are, and about whale behavior is even more important for Connecticut and New York residents now, because humpback whales have visited Long Island Sound each of the last two summers.”
Guests can even play Jonah and go inside the whale to see the scale of its internal organs, including its lungs, heart and stomachs. (Yes, stomachs, plural. Most baleen whales have three stomach compartments.)
Also during “Celebrate Whales,” bonus educational stations will let Maritime Aquarium guests touch real baleen, experience first-hand how blubber keeps whales warm, and learn why whale populations still haven’t fully recovered from historic whaling practices.
There’s one more way to see life-sized humpback whales at The Maritime Aquarium Jan. 7-16: in the limited return engagement of the IMAX® movie “Humpback Whales,” which offers amazing scenes of these beloved creatures on the Aquarium’s six-story screen. The film lets audiences join scientists studying how the whales communicate, sing, play, feed and care for their young. Show times Jan. 7-16 only are 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Learn more about “Celebrate Whales” events – and all the exhibits, IMAX movies and programs at The Maritime Aquarium – by going to www.maritimeaquarium.org.
