When you’re larger than any of the great dinosaurs, and longer than a basketball court, the general assumption is that you don’t need any protection.

But not the blue whale which needs all the protection it can get. The number of blue whales has steadily dwindled throughout the decades because of massive whaling, climate change and pollution.

Before whaling in the earlier half of the 20th century, there were more than 200,000 blue whales in the world. Today, there are only about 5,000 to 12,000 of them worldwide.

It is with this alarming statistic in mind that the National Geographic Channel, along with Ayala Malls and The Mind Museum, bring to the country a life-size sculpture of the world’s biggest baby blue whale. This is the last stop in an Asian tour that has already made stops in Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, and China.

The sculpture, which was made by a team of professional model makers in Australia, is the centerpiece of the event. The exterior details of a blue whale calf, such as its gray-blue skin, were rendered as accurately as possible on the sculpture.

This event also includes expert sharing sessions, conservation and education activities, and a feature writing competition, all aiming to further public understanding of blue whales.

SIMPLY AMAZING!

The blue whale is certainly amazing to behold. With adult blue whales estimated to grow up to 108 feet in length and weigh as much as 172 metric tons, it is considered as the largest animal on earth.
Sonia Jackson, senior vice president of marketing and the general manager for Hong Kong and the Philippines of the Fox International Channel, distributor of National Geographic Channel worldwide, says that the exhibit seeks to familiarize Filipinos, especially young children, to the many fascinating
aspects of the world’s largest mammal.

“We want to bring this to the younger generation so they will be able to visualize, to touch, see, feel what it is to be a baby blue whale,” says Jackson. “Very few of us will ever get the chance to see one in our lifetime. We’re hoping that with this exhibit, we can move the message of conservation — not only of blue whales but other marine animals as well.”

BLUE WHALES IN RP

Marine mammal expert Dr. Arnel Andrew Yaptinchay says that Filipinos should definitely be concerned about the state of the blue whale population, as the majestic animal can also be seen in the waters of the country. In 2005, a blue whale mother and calf were seen swimming in the waters of the Bohol Sea.

“We don’t know if they are regular residents of the Philippines, but we are in their migratory path,” says Yaptinchay. “Aside from that, the country is also home to 26 cetacean species — whales, dolphins, and porpoises.”

Yaptinchay, who once served as director for the Species Conservation Program of World Wildlife
Fund-Philippines, says that one of the leading causes of the decimation of the cetacean population in the country are “non-targeted catches”. Since whales, dolphins, and porpoises swim with schools of fish, they are accidentally caught by fishing nets and slaughtered.

The continued pollution of the world’s seas is also detrimental to the creatures, as they have been known to choke on waste materials dumped into the ocean.

“Only 30 percent of our waters are protected, and that makes many marine species vulnerable to hunting and overfishing,” Yaptinchay laments.

The exhibit also promotes “Big Blue,” the National Geographic Channel’s two-hour documentary on the blue whales’ migratory, feeding, courtship and breeding patterns. The information gathered by the documentary seeks to aid blue whale conservation efforts worldwide.

“If you know where blue whales feed and give birth, then you can start protecting those areas,” explains Jackson.

The documentary has footage of a blue whale giving birth to a live calf in the Pacific Ocean, as well as footage of a blue whale swallowing an entire swarm of krill or small shrimp.

(The Big Blue Exhibition will run in five different venues on the following dates: Glorietta 5, Nov. 17 to 26; Trinoma Mall, Nov. 28 to Dec. 11; Alabang Town Center, Jan. 4 to 17; Market! Market!, Jan. 18 to Feb. 2; and Greenbelt Mall, Feb. 3 to 17)