It's not every day that people in T&T come face to face with the wonder of the world's largest marine mammals.
On March 16 however, about 300 primary school pupils had an encounter with a sperm whale–or at least with what remained of it: its gigantic jaw bone.
The skeletal artifact is all that remains of a massive whale that was beached at Toco in February 2013. When originally discovered, the whale's carcass had measured about 40 feet in length and weighed 12 tons. The students braved touching the colossal mandible, which was part of a unique exhibit on aquatic life mounted at the Digicel IMAX cinema by the University of the West Indies' Zoology Museum. The occasion was the premiere of Humpback Whales, the newest 3D documentary in the Atlantic Ultimate Field Trip.
Sponsored by LNG producer Atlantic, the Atlantic Ultimate Field Trip uses cutting-edge documentaries filmed using IMAX 3D technology to expose primary and secondary school students to topical issues related to the environment, biodiversity, climate change, wildlife and the vistas of outer space, a release said.
Every school term, special interactive displays and learning sessions further enhance the "edutainment" experience of the initiative, which to date has been embarked upon by some 60,000 students from all over the country.
Humpback Whales tells the story of the steady recovery of the humpback species from the brink of extinction caused by commercial whaling. The film also offers a deep look into the lives of the gargantuan mammals, and explores their value to the marine environment and the need to protect them.
Special guests at the premiere were the 300 pupils from Eastern Girls Government, Gaines Normal Primary, Laventille Government Boys', Richmond Street Boys' Anglican, and Woodbrook Presbyterian.
Camille Salandy, head, Sustainability and Corporate Communications, Atlantic said that the Atlantic Ultimate Field Trip aimed to broaden the perspectives of young audiences by using fresh and relevant movies that brought topical and global issues to life.
"Movies such as Humpback Whales are fun and exciting, but they are also educational and are meant to teach you about protecting the environment," Salandy said.
Salandy also explained that Atlantic supported initiatives aimed at environmental conservation such as the National Sea Turtle Tagging and Monitoring Programme and the Head Start Programme, both strengthening efforts to protect the turtles that nest on the country's beaches. Another initiative is the Atlantic Environment Education Series, an outdoor intervention which teaches students about issues such as bush fires and reforestation.
At the premiere for Humpback Whales, Atlantic also partnered with the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) and the Cetacean Conservation and Research Organisation (CCARO), to bring home even more closely the issues highlighted in the movie.
Lori Lee Lum, Community Education Officer, IMA spoke to the students about the importance of preventing beach pollution, while Director of CARRO, Alesha Naranjit explained the value of whales and other aquatic life such as dolphins.
"Apart from being interesting and exciting animals, whales and dolphins can be very valuable to us because they make our ecosystem healthy so that we can catch fish to eat and sell to make money, bring income to the country by attracting tourists and they also help scientists learn more about the ocean," Naranjit explained.
The exhibit by the University of the West Indies' Zoology Museum featured the skulls, vertebrae, teeth and hearts of different types of dolphins and whales that live in the seas surrounding T&T. The exhibit provided an additional educational benefit to the enthusiastic students as they were able to further understand the biological characteristics of whales and their similarities to humans.
The exhibit will be stationed in the lobby at the Digicel IMAX cinema for the rest of the school term, so that students and teachers embarking on the Atlantic Ultimate Field Trip and also other patrons will have the opportunity to view the artifacts.