Few people living by the sea can see the magical creatures in the ocean - whales. This behemoth living in the sea is the overlord of the sea, but it is actually a mammal like humans, and it also has an ethereal and melodious voice... This Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, you can go to the China (Hainan) South China Sea Museum to see the "whale". On September 19th, the South China Sea Whale Spirit - Collection of Cetacean Specimens exhibition will be held in the North Area of the South China Sea Museum, and nearly 30 exhibits will allow people to observe different types of whales up close.
A behemoth from land to sea
Life originated in the ocean and went to land. But according to existing fossil material, the earliest whales actually lived on land. The discovery of cetacean fossils outlines a complete picture of the ancestors of cetaceans and their evolutionary path from land to the ocean. Cetacean evolution began in the South Asian subcontinent about 50 million years ago. From Bucky's whales, wandering whales, Remington whales, proto-whales to Dragon King whales, they diverged into two types, baleen whales and toothed whales, each evolving independently, successfully transforming into a completely aquatic animal, which has also become what it is today.
Whales that came from 50 million years ago have gradually conquered the cold poles and the hot equator, and have successfully multiplied in various aquatic environments like fish. Over the tens of thousands of years of encounters and companionship with people, whales have been watched and recorded. Human beings eat whale flesh and stomach, take whale fat to illuminate and warm, take whale bones, whiskers and teeth to build houses, carve and make daily necessities, although whales grow in the ocean, but are closely related to human production and life. Today, specimens of whales that have been made to preserve for a long time have become the most precious collections in museums around the world.
Get an up close look at the Whale Spirit of the South China Sea
According to reports, the exhibition hosted by the South China Sea Museum exhibits a total of nearly 30 exhibits, visitors can not only observe the well-made cetacean specimens such as anchovies, minke whales, pseudo-killer whales, pilot whales, gray dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, etc., but also watch dynamic humpback whales, sperm whales, killer whales and other simulation models from a distance. In the four display units of "Giant Beast in the Water", "Evolution Story", "Whale Watching Map" and "Knowledge and Action Future", through the comprehensive display of specimens, models, graphic exhibition boards, interactive devices, etc., visitors can systematically understand the basic knowledge of cetacean classification, physiological structure, behavior, etc., and the picture of cetacean ancestors from ancient times reproduced by fossil evidence will open the door to explore ancient times, as well as a worldview whale map. Visitors will be taken to numerous whale watching resorts and various nature museums, where they can exhibit whales and specimens from all over the world.
According to the relevant person in charge of the South China Sea Museum, the "South Sea Whale Spirit - Collection of Cetacean Specimens Exhibition" also has a very special guest from the cetacean family - baleen whales. The story of this baleen whale and Hainan originated from the Chengmai Sea in April last year. It is understood that when Dr. Fang Yuan of the South China Sea Museum and experts from the Institute of Deep-sea Sciences and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences first met with it, it was very regrettable that the baleen whale had died. In order to continue its life story, scientists made it into specimens: stripped specimens made out of skin, and then assembled all the bones into racks. So there is a huge body and torso, which allows people to glimpse the great shore of its birth and feel its eternal existence after death. In this pavilion, visitors can get up close to the baleen whale and imagine its majesty in the ocean.
"Many children know about this magical marine monster through television, but in fact, everyone still doesn't know much about whales." According to the relevant person in charge of the South China Sea Museum, this exhibition not only allows visitors to experience the shape and physical characteristics of whales at close range, but also allows visitors to understand more about this marine giant, such as what is the world's largest whale whale? How old will whales live? What does whale, urine, fart look like... These answers can be found in the exhibition hall, taking advantage of the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, you can bring your children here to enjoy the whale's 'strange' sleeping posture of sleeping vertically... The relevant person in charge of the South China Sea Museum said that in fact, there are more wonderful and magical, which need to be experienced by everyone. It is hoped that through the exhibition, people's love and respect for whales and the ocean will be evoked. It is understood that in this exhibition, the South China Sea Museum has also prepared a variety of cetacean-themed cultural creations - seeing whales, listening to whales, understanding whales, and then bringing home the "whale" joy.
【Source: Hainan Online】
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