Photo: Jay Willett/WBZ NewsRadio
WENHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Whalemobile is making a splash by traveling to inspire the next generation of animal conservationists.
The Whalemobile is a life-sized transportable humpback whale, which is modeled after an adult whale that can be seen locally each year. On Wednesday at the Wenham Museum, children got the chance to explore inside the inflatable whale and learn more about one of the largest mammals in the world.
“This humpback whale, Nile, is seen off the coast of Massachusetts every summer,” said founder Cynde McInnis.
McInnis said it is important to generate interest in children, as some of them will be leading conservation efforts when they grow up.
“As they grow older, they’re going to do more to protect it, so I think it really starts with creating that love for these animals,” said McInnis. “Part of it is just getting them excited about whales. It truly never gets old.”
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Since the Whalemobile is inflatable, it makes it easier for them to teach about an animal that some children have no access to.
“It’s so much fun to take it to the Midwest because it’s just so different for the kids there to get exposure to the ocean," said McInnis.
Whalemobile educator Kristin Daley said she loves passing her knowledge on to the next generation, like how Nile got her name.
“We can tell these whales individually apart by the underside of their tail or fluke. It’s like a fingerprint. She got her name because it looks like a river going down her tail, so she was named after the Nile River,” said Daley.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.
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