WHALES | TOHORA

The giants of the sea have made their way to landlocked Telus Spark.

1 Migratory Instincts

There’s not a whole lot of ocean life in Calgary, but that will change later this month when Telus Spark opens its Whales | Tohora exhibition. The show, which was developed by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, has travelled around North America for 10 years. Calgary will be its final stop before returning to its faraway home.

2 Schools of Whales

The show is divided into three sections. The first explores the science of whales, the second includes information about how they live and travel, and the third features information on the mysterious phenomenon of whales beaching themselves. As Allison Simpson, manager of Telus Spark’s exhibit development and design, explains, “There are pure, wonderful things that are really interesting to study scientifically, but there’s also that fascination that humans have for whales, so we also get to explore a little bit of how that manifests.”

3 Mammals Like Us

There’s a good reason for our fascination with whales: we’re similar in more ways than we might realize. “There’s an emotional connection that we feel with whales, and this exhibition explore that,” Simpson says, pointing out that whales grieve lost loved ones just as we do.

4 Bones to Pick

Whales, like deep-sea divers can also experience the bends (decompression sickness) if they surface too quickly. As well, they are susceptible to human maladies like arthritis, as evidenced by the skeleton of a 60-year-old sperm whale that is part of the exhibiiton. It’s one of two sperm whale skeletons on display; the second is that of an 18-year-old what that died before it was fully grown. Despite that, the smaller whale is 17.8 metres long and has a skull that weighs more than a tonne. The exhibition also includes reproductions of whales and a replica of a blue whale’s heart that is approximately the size of a small car.

5 No-Fluke Travel

As you might imagine, it’s not easy to ship whales around the globe. In fact, Simpson says the entire exhibit requires 10 trucks to move from city to city. “Six of them were just furniture trucks, and four of them were climate-controlled trucks,” Simpson said, explaining that the temperature and humidity are closely monitored to ensure the artifacts aren’t damaged in transport.