Aug 27, 2022 12:44:00

I've been taking pictures at the special exhibition 'Gather! Mie Whales and Dolphins' where the huge skeletons of whales and dolphins were exhibited. Report

Even if you have the knowledge that 'whales and dolphins are mammals', it is difficult to imagine what kind of body structure they actually have. At the special exhibition `` Gather! Mie Whales and Dolphins ' ' held at the Mie Prefectural Museum until September 11, 2022 (Sun), you can observe skeletal specimens of whales and dolphins from a short distance. In order to deepen my knowledge of the mysterious whales that swim magnificently in the sea, I actually visited the exhibition and took pictures.

Mie Prefectural Museum 31st Special Exhibition Gather! Mie Whales and Dolphins

https://www.bunka.pref.mie.lg.jp/MieMu/p0031300071.htm

Arrived at the Mie Prefectural Museum. Go up the stairs and aim for the entrance.

Enter the building through the automatic door.

We arrived at the venue for 'Gather! Mie Whales and Dolphins'.

Since it is said that photography is OK, I will shoot with Pasha Pasha. Please note that some of the exhibits do not allow photography. Also, flash lighting is prohibited.

Near the entrance, a skeletal specimen of the ' finless porpoise ', a type of whale that appears in the waters around Mie Prefecture, is on display. Human skeletal models are lined up next to the finless porpoise, allowing comparison of size and appearance. If you look closely, both hip bones are connected with a red string. The hipbones of cetaceans are remnants of their hind legs.

Looking close, it looks like this. You can certainly feel that whales and dolphins are mammals, not fish, such as rugged spines, ribs, and finger bones.

I took a close-up picture of my finger bone. Finger bones similar to mammals such as humans are hidden in the smooth-shaped pectoral fins.

As I proceeded along the route, the skulls of finless porpoises washed ashore on the west coast of Ise Bay were lined up.

By reading the QR code placed next to the skull, you can view

research papers about the washed-up porpoise. Even if you read the explanation at the museum and think 'I want to know more', you tend to forget it by the time you go home, but with this method you can check the details immediately. It's a nice point to respond immediately to the desire you want to know.

In addition to finless finless finless porpoises, various other skeletal specimens of whales and dolphins are on display. This is the skeleton of a 'white-

sided dolphin '.

Next to the skeletal specimen, there was a QR code code for a

web page where you can hear the white-sided dolphin's cry .

As you go further, the skeletal specimens of the baleen whale '

sei whale ' and the toothed whale 'short- finned pilot whale' are on display.

Looking at the sei whale from the other side, it looks like this. The upper jaw has a splendid baleen.

Skeletal specimens of '

killer whales ' are displayed along with powerful photographs.

As I got closer, I could see that the skull was lined with many sharp teeth.

This is a skeletal specimen of a

common dolphin that washed up on the coast of Mie Prefecture. It was said that the sampling process was performed by students and researchers in Mie Prefecture, and a movie summarizing the process was also available.

Similarly, a skeletal specimen of a

striped dolphin washed up on the coast of Mie Prefecture.

This is a skeletal specimen of '

Ogawa Komkou '. It seems that a variety of whales inhabit the vicinity of Mie Prefecture.

Exhibits are not only skeletal specimens, but also models of whale nostrils ......

Exhibits related to whales, such as life-size illustrations of whales, are crammed together.

The column on the wall is also a must-read. It was a series of surprising discoveries, such as, 'Whales are genetically similar to pigs!'

There are also stuffed animals and food related to whales and dolphins on display. In addition, there is also an exhibition on the history of whaling in the back. However, most of the historical materials were prohibited from photography.

The souvenir corner also has a large number of whale goods such as stuffed finless porpoises and T-shirts.

A pictorial record of 'Gather! Mie Whales and Dolphins' was also on sale.

The pictorial record is in the form of an illustrated book, and the distribution and ecology of the exhibited whales and dolphins are explained with a large number of color photographs.

'Gather! Mie Whales and Dolphins' has a large number of skeletal specimens on display with detailed explanations, and my understanding of whales and dolphins has deepened. In addition, next to the exhibits, there are QR codes that allow you to access detailed literature, which will fully satisfy your thirst for knowledge.

The special exhibition “Gather! Mie Whales and Dolphins” will be held until September 22, 2022 (Sun).