Marine Mammal Institute: The Rest of the Trip

September 05, 2011

← Previous
Photo 1 of 5
Next →

One of Discovery Place’s program specialists, Heather Heslep, spent part of August on the northern part of the East Coast on an adventure with the Marine Mammal Institute. This post the final one in a series that follows her adventure as she learns more about marine mammals and climate change.

Mystic Aquarium - Sunday, August 14
Mystic, Connecticut (known as the setting of the movie Mystic Pizza) is a charming town also featuring Mystic Aquarium, one of the nation’s leading aquariums. Home to beluga whales, penguins and more, the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration offers amazing fauna and facilities along with educators who believe in inquiry-based philosophy. From the exhibits linking an oscilloscope and an electric eel, to the jellies, to anatomically correct animal costumes, a theme linking science to nature was very prominent throughout the aquarium — and I felt right at home! One encounter in particular I will never forget is a kiss from a beluga whale named Juno.

New England Aquarium - Monday, August 15-16
The New England Aquarium reminded me a lot of Discovery Place, in part because of its giant relief globe display. The aquarium enjoys a great rapport with the surrounding community and has so many wonderful, unique animals, including a seal named Isaac. I had the chance to meet many passionate educators here and was able to discuss education and climate change with Jon Anderson, the aquarium’s director of education. The education team’s engagement with researchers, volunteers, teachers and the community is truly inspirational.

Koshland Science Museum, Sant Ocean Hall: Debriefing with NOAA -Thurs., August 17-18
Our amazing journey ended with a crescendo at the Koshland Science Museum and Sant Ocean Hall in Washington D.C. The Koshland Science Museum and Discovery Place both try to balance science and technology with stunning visual imagery. Koshland’s exhibits currently focus on global climate change, infectious disease, lights at night and wonder. Of particular note is their Magic Planet exhibit, offered through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, showing Earth’s trends and patterns. We also visited Sant Ocean Hall, which depicts stunning tales of oceanic life both past and present. If you like trilobites, meglodons, right whales, giant squids and other creatures from the deep sea, Sant Ocean Hall is a must-see.

I want to offer a huge thanks to everyone who created, participated, contributed and supported this adventure with the Marine Mammal Institute. I cannot wait to bring the knowledge of what I learned to Discovery Place’s Marine Mammal Day in 2012 to make it a fantastic, fun and educational event. Though we can’t bring marine mammals to Charlotte we will invite engaging speakers, share more photos and provide hands-on activities that will ignite thoughts, questions and wonder about the ocean.

The Marine Mammal Institute has been fully funded by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration with principal drivers North Carolina Aquariums and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.