Abigail, a student at Beachy Cove Elementary, holds the vertebrate of a whale. She knows whales and kindergartners have the same number of bones in their neck, and that the bones are similar in shape to whale bones. But that whales have bigger bones than us, so they are bigger than us. |
"This minke whale rib bone is as big as me. I have ribs and so do whales." |
The blue whale is the biggest animal in the world. It comes to Newfoundland and Labrador waters. This is a piece of baleen from its mouth. |
Minke whale baleen is white. This section of baleen is from the smallest baleen whale that swims in our waters. There are about 60 pieces in this section. Over 300 pieces of baleen hang down from either side of the top jaw of the whale to filter out herring, caplin, cod and other marine life from the water. |
This boy is loosing his baby teeth. Unlike humans, toothed whales do not grow a second set of teeth. |
Ribs protect the heart and lungs of humans and whales. |
This shadow of a humpback whale placed on the ground is as long as a school bus. Half of the kindergarten class from this school can stand on just one of its side fins (see photo above). Humpbacks have the biggest side fins, which are white and look greenish from the surface. |
