My seven-year old son's interest in whales has resurfaced. When he was younger I would read The Sierra Club Handbook of Whales and Dolphins to him.
Call me Ishmael. Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. - Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Actually, I can't claim that his re-ignited interest came from great literature. The truth is that we have been watching the current season of Whale Wars on Animal Planet. For those of you who have not seen the show, it follows the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a radical group of environmentalists that harasses and takes direct action against a Japanese whaling fleet off the coast of Antarctica.
Since we live in New England, there are plenty of places and ways to learn about whales. New Bedford was one of the great whaling hubs of the nineteenth century. Melvlille set sail from this port in 1841 aboard the Acushnet. It was this voyage that inspired Moby Dick. The New Bedford Whaling Museum celebrates the city's history and the history of whaling.
To be honest, I was a bit nervous about how whales and whaling would be portrayed. Would there be a flensing station or a fire-the-harpoon game?
My worries quickly dissipated as we entered the atrium, with three gigantic whale skeletons mounted from the ceiling two floors up. We quickly ducked into the introductory movie to learn about the history of whaling. Whale oil was a key light source and lubricant until being replaced by petroleum. At first, whaling was conducted by boats launched from shore. As the easy catches were killed off, the boats had to get bigger and bigger and the journeys had to get longer and longer. Yes, the movie had some processing, but the kids were quickly distracted by the whalers having to battle hungry sharks away from the whale carcass.
As for the exhibits, the model of the whaling ship Lagoda was the biggest hit. At half-scale it was the perfect size for kids to explore the deck, but a harrowing, head-bonking size for adults foolish enough to climb on board.
The adjacent room, with yet another enormous whale skeleton in the center, focused on the preservation of whale. Staying with that theme another exhibit highlight the dangers of entanglement. The right whale skeleton in the atrium was from a whale that died after being tangled in a loose net.
On the top floor, there is wonderful observation deck that looks out over New Bedford harbor. A fleet of modern fishing boats lines the docks.
I thought the Whaling Museum did a great job balancing the history of whaling and the current preservation of whales. The kids enjoyed it and I enjoyed it. We all learned some new things along the way. For me, that makes it a great family destination.
Image by Doug Cornelius
