Display dips into the world of whales
After 10 years on tour, a New Zealand whale exhibit will make its final stop in landlocked Calgary.
The Whales|Tohorā exhibition, at approximately 740 square metres, opens at Telus Spark on Jan. 20 for five months.
It features two massive sperm whale skeletons, a giant replica of a blue whale’s heart and other artifacts that kids can press and touch to provide visitors with an immersive education about whales and their connection to Maori culture.
The exhibition, presented by the National Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, has been touring North America since 2008. With previous stints at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto during 2010-2011 and the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa in 2012, Calgary will be the final stop on its North American tour.
“Especially being a landlocked city ... we’re not exposed to whales so this is a great opportunity for people like us who live in Calgary, a very dry climate, to be able to experience something ... we’re not used to seeing every day,” said Jacqueline Tran, a spokeswoman for Telus Spark.
“It can teach us about the vast scale of (whales), the biology, adaptation, the diversity of whales as well.”
Whales| Tohora explores the mammal as a sacred symbol of the Maori people, with jewelry and weapons made from whale bones as part of the exhibition. On Friday, Maori and Blackfoot representatives performed a blessing ceremony during a media preview.
“It gives us an opportunity to experience whale culture and how significant they are to the Māori people,” Tran said. “It just puts our size into perspective as well because they’re so massive and they’re majestic animals.”
The exhibition will run until June 20.