MUNL hosts “Whale Of A Day”

May 17, 2022

MUNL hosted its first “Whale Of A Day” event at the Core Science Facility last Saturday (May 14th, 2022), and it’s safe to say- its attendees had a whale of a time.

Memorial marketed this event as a day of family fun and education under the blue whale skeleton, 1300 people were drawn as they visited 24 various exhibits related to ocean sciences.

279831440 4862882587173897 5250099374311149216 n 1 — Photo Credit: Jenna Reid

Lisa Browne, Vice-President, Advancement and External Relations at Memorial University, provided a statement for the Muse:

We are so thrilled with the turnout for Whale of a Day, which was the launch of our year celebrating all things oceans at Memorial called The Big Splash. Twenty-four exhibitors shared their rich knowledge and expertise about oceans with 1300 visitors. This event was consistent with our strategic pillars Commitment to Communities, Dynamic Research and Proactive Programs. We welcomed people into a new building demonstrating research and programs in a hands-on, meaningful way. In ten years time, I hope a new undergraduate student walks through the Core Science Facility and remembers their visit to a Whale of a Day!”
Lisa Browne, Vice-President, Advancement and External Relations at Memorial University

Exhibit Highlight

One exhibit of particular interest was Andronowski Labs which caught the attention of many children.

Dr. Andronowski’s research team prepared a bone demonstration that compared how the bones of various mammals (e.gwhale, moose, seals, caribou, lynx, etc.) from Newfoundland and Labrador compared to each other (and to humans).

Their presentation further provides attendees with interactive stations that illustrate skeletal differences between human and other animal bones, focusing on those that are similar between species (e.g., femur).

They also taught the public about certain bony features that help discern who an individual might have been during life using forensic anthropological methods (e.g., height, age, sex, etc.) and how they can locate and test some of these features on themselves.