Learning from Orcas

This past weekend was the opening of our new exhibit - "Learning from Orcas: The Story of Hope." Many overtime hours were worked by staff over the course of two weeks, and countless volunteer hours, to prepare the exhibit for this opening. Two donor events, and two "free" days, nearly 300 visitors later, it's now all on display. There will be many tweeks, continual consideration of feedback and ideas for changing the rest of the room in the future, but I think the consensus was that it was fantastic to see Hope, the orca, all together again, and information below to discuss orcas in general, this particular orca, and toxics in the marine environment. Of orcas tested in  the world, Hope has the highest recorded levels of toxins in her body. It is believed these high levels were due to her spending a decent amount of her life near a DDT plant in California. She was a transient - not the resident kind that hang out a bunch in Puget Sound eating salmon. Hope ate only marine mammals and because of the quick response of volunteers, vets and marine experts to her stranding over 10 years ago, a necropsy (autopsy of an animal) was conducted which allowed for the collection of many samples to study and draw education conclusions on her death. The science center was fortunate enough to get her and articulated it (cleaned and put it together) with volunteers only! Pretty cool! My office is in the back of the room where Hope lives. 

In addition to the orca exhibit we have a bone table with bones donated from throughout the world - many of which unknown as to the animal they came from. This table was meant to stimulate discussion and observations on bones. you can see a seal pup skeleton in the background which was put together by volunteers this past spring. Pretty cool!