Whales : Giants of the Deep

Chicago’s Field Museum has been on quite a roll regarding animal-related special exhibitions. Last year they presented an exhibit on Mammoths and Mastodons, this spring was a feature on Horses, and now we have Whales!

Running until January 16, 2012, Whales: Giants of the Deep is a travelling exhibit initially developed by the Museum of New Zealand. Because of this, a nice chunk of its features relate to Whales in New Zealand and their relationship with Maori culture.

Unfortunately, no photography was allowed in the exhibit, so I don’t have anything for you to gawk at other than some stock photos. However, I can point out a few of the highlights, and some of my favorite features.

For one, they had a section devoted to whale evolution, including skeletons and information plaques about the various proto-whales that swam the prehistoric seas.

They had numerous models and skeletons of modern whales as well, from massive Sperm Whales all the way down to the bathtub-sized Hector’s Dolphins. Different models and features relating to anatomy were also set up, including a crawl-through Blue Whale heart, an echolocation chamber, and a sound room that let you experience the wide range of Whale and Dolphin sounds and frequencies.

The human relationship with Whales is also explored. A gallery introduces visitors to the link between Whales and New Zealand’s Maori culture, while an additional section deals with the history of Whale hunts.  A further area discusses the phenomenon of Whale Strandings, including their causes and the efforts taken to either save the whales, or to humanly euthanize them when no other options are available.

The exhibit really covered all its bases. Visitors will learn about Whale origins, biology, behaviors, and relationships with humans. An excellent presentation overall, and one I would highly recommend.

 Whales : Giants of the Deep will be at the Chicago Field Museum until January 16, 2012.

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Jellies

I took a trip over to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium this past weekend. Partially to hang out with some sweet Lungfish (I love you Granddad), partially to check out how big Nunavik the baby Beluga is getting, and partially to hit up their current special exhibit: Jellies!

Jellies explores the strange and amazing world of Jellyfish, fascinating little creatures with no bones or brains. The exhibit highlights around a dozen Jellyfish species, while also providing information about how the eat, move, reproduce, and fit in with the ocean ecosystems.

The Jellyfish themselves are breathtakingly beautiful, especially the various Sea Nettles. Other species, including the Moon Jellies and Upside-down Jellies, make the exhibit visually stunning, especially when combined with colorfully decorated aquariums.

Jellies is on exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium until May 28th, 2012.

And if you live near the Chicago area and love aquariums, I'd recommend getting a one year membership. Not only does it pay for itself after two visits, but you get to skip the excruciatingly long line to get in!


More pictures after the jump!

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National Zoological Park

Giant Panda having fun with some fruit frozen in ice

Last week I was able to make my first ever trip to the National Zoo just outside of Washington, D.C..

The location is notable because it is one of the few zoos in the country to have Giant Pandas on exhibit, and what a gorgeous exhibit they have! In fact, the entire place has some really awesome habitats put together for the animals, and I'd love to go back in a few years once the construction is completed to see what else they've put together.

The zoo had a really nice flow to it, and featured several species (aside from Pandas) that I'd never seen before in captivity, including Giant Anteaters, Kori Bustards, and Elephant Shrews (among many, many others).They also had some very well organized buildings for the birds, reptiles, and small mammals. They even had a specific building just for invertebrates featuring some really amazing species of Lobster, Cuttlefish, and many others.

The National Zoological Park is open every day except December 25th, typically from 10:00AM until 6:00PM, and is only a short Red Line trip from downtown D.C.

But enough of my blathering, have some pictures (and more commentary) after the jump!

Large male Gorilla is keeping an eye on the younster

Red Pandas are unrealistically cute

There are actually seven baby lions, but this picture was pretty Lion King-esque.

Roseate Spoonbill

Spotted Spiny Lobster

Kori Bustards giving me the stink eye

Giant Pandas eat.. a lot

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Brookfield Zoo

I made my first trip over to the Brookfield Zoo yesterday, and had at the great fortune to stumble upon several species that I'd never seen in person before.

...Unfortunately it was about 85 degrees out, which was unseasonably warm for Chicago, so most of the animals were pretty lethargic, but it was a fun time nonetheless.

Some pictures and highlights below the cut

African Wild Dogs

They had ten adorable puppies born last Thanksgiving. Once grown, these rare hunting dogs will be sent off to other institutions where their genes can best serve the Species Survival Plan

Wombats

Apparently Wombats look like they are dead while they are sleeping. They were in this exact position when I checked back on them 4 hours later. No wonder the zoo has to put up signs assuring visitors that they are, in fact, sleeping.

Andean Condor

This particular bird was one of the most entertaining stops on my visit. It apparently is quite fond of mouse tails, as it kept hopping from mouse corpse to mouse corpse, ripping off the tail and occasionally diving into some innards.

Przewalski's Horse

I've been fascinated by these horses for as long as I can remember. They are the last remaining true wild horses on the planet, and were extinct in the wild until very recent reintroductions efforts returned herds to protected areas.

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Camera Critters : Butterflies All Around

A few weeks back I made my way over to the Milwaukee Public Museum, where they have a butterfly wing that you can stroll through. There are a handful of species, but I unfortunately neglected to figure out what was what, so now I have a whole mess of random butterfly pictures. I might try and sort them at some point, but one of the big things they emphasized at the exhibit was that many butterfly species mimic other species as a defense mechanism, so I might just be out of luck! Gave me an excuse to use some close-up settings on the camera though!

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Frogs: A Chorus of Colors

Tomato Frog!

I had the chance to catch the Milwaukee Public Museum's temporary exhibit Frogs: A Chorus of Colors yesterday, which was a really neat thing to see.

They have 15 different species on display, ranging from the small but deadly Poison Dart Frogs, all the way up to the massive African Bullfrog. Interactive displays enhance the experience for both adults and children, and provide information on things like vocalizaitons, metamorphosis, and the dreaded Chytridiomycosis.

The exhibit is in Milwaukee until January 31st, if you happen to be in that particular area. Then it looks like its moving out to the Museum of the Rockies in Montana. A full schedule of the exhibit is available at Peeling Productions.

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