Ms. Edwards,
There are some pictures on WhaleNet that you can use
(on the ASK page and in one of the slideshows).
Wish me luck.
How do you rescue an injured whale that is still in
the ocean and how many people does it take?
Good question but not an easy one to answer. I have
picked up some small whales (pilot whales) using
people. We had to do this because the whales were far
from a place where we could get anything like a crane
(which would have been better). It took about twenty
people to lift one average (about 15-17 feet long)
pilot whale.
A whale in the water, a big whale, that may be 40-50
feet long is a whole other problem. In fact there is
not any good way to catch and move it - or even
convince it to stop moving long enough to help it.
Usually a lot of people try using boats, airplanes,
and other equipment, but most times there is not much
we can do.
What is your favorite marine mammal and why?
Depends what you mean by "favorite". I like a lot of
marine mammals in general, but my favorite type
(species) would probably be hooded seals. They are
big, nasty seals that live in the arctic, dive real
deep and can turn part of their nose inside out and
blow it up like a red balloon - no kidding - look for
some pictures.
Because I worked at an aquarium, I got to know a lot
of animals that we took care of quite well. Probably
my favorite stranded animal was a small whale called a
Grampus. Her was named "Lou".
Why do some whales have bumps on their mouths?
I'm guessing what you are thinking of are bumps that
are actually on the "upper lip" and sometimes around
the mouth of humpback whales. People used to call
these "stove bolts" because they look like the rivets
in a cast iron stove. They are actually hair
follicles and there is a single hair growing out of
each one. You would have to be very close to see it.
ge
--- "Edwards, Karen E" <kedward5@jefferson.k12.ky.us>
wrote:
>
> Mr. Early,
>
> Thank you so much for your answers. The kids are
> very excited about having
> a chance to ask you questions and are looking
> forward to your replies.
> Kenwood Elementary has almost 600 students (only the
> 2nd and 3rd graders are
> asking questions), 89% are on free/reduced lunch.
>
> I plan on using your answers in class, on a
> bulletin board and on
> our morning
> broadcast. I will be sure to have each class ask
> only 2-3
> questions. If you haveaphotograph of yourself that
> you feel comfortable
> sending I would love to be glad to put it on the
> board.
>
> The next class with a question is Ms. Burt's second
> graders: How do
> you rescue an injured whale that is still in the
> ocean and how many people
> does it take?
>
> Ms. Strawters 3rd grade class would like to know:
> What is your
> favorite marine mammal and why? Why do some whales
> have bumps on their
> mouths?
>
> Thank You,
> Karen Edwards
>
>
>
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