From a chased wild beast to an endangered species. The tale of the Whale shows how we have viewed whales through the centuries.
The interactive exhibition The tale of the Whale takes children (6+) on a historical journey of the whale and whaling. In a playful way, children learn about the various whale species, their habitat and how humans have looked at and treated them. At the beginning of the exhibition the bowhead whale opens its maw for you and at the end its tail plunges down into the water.
Dive into the history of the whale
a scary sea monster?
In the 16th century people knew very little of whales. They mainly found them scary sea monsters. When the Dutch sailor Willem Barentsz explored the Arctic Ocean, the image of the whale changed. The Arctic Ocean crawled with whales and Willem noticed how easily they were caught. More and more people started whaling, as you could make a lot of money with catching whales. The meat, the oil from the blubber and the whalebones brought in a lot of money on the markets.
whaling
In the 19th century The Netherlands stopped whaling. However, when after the Second World War there was a shortage of everything, whaling was resumed. In 1964 the last whaler sailed under the Dutch flag. Environmental movements all around the world were taking action against whaling. Nowadays, whaling meets a lot of resistance. The whale is even an endangered species!
plastic soup: the whales' habitat
The final room of the exhibition is developed in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund. Explore more about the plastic soup: one of the biggest threats to the whale. A fascinating opportunity for all ages to learn about the current state of our oceans and the consequences for this huge marine animal.
did you know that…
…the Blue Whale is the largest animal on earth? The Blue Whale is a type of whale, which can weigh up to 170,000 kilos! With such a large body you are bound to have a large appetite. This whale eats approx. 3,500 kilos of plankton a day. Besides the Blue Whale, a lot of other whales are swimming in the oceans, such as the Sperm Whale and the North Atlantic Right Whale.
Visit the exhibition The tale of the Whale and learn everything about the whale.