Stumpy's Story: Right Whale in NCMNS Mammals Collection

Expaining the scale of Right Mother(Stumpy) and Fetus 

Julia inside the Fetuses Mouth, a favorite photo opportunity

Model and Sculpture Rough Out before final Sculpting

Using the Internet to visit The New Bedford Whaling Museum

Plasticine Clay Model of Stumpy's Fetus/ sculpted from photo's of Whaling Museum Fetus

Connect with NCMNS to hear more about Stumpy and her Fetus. Here are some photos just of the exhibit component on Stumpy during Marine Mammal Day.

Benjamin Hess:Mammal Collections Manager NCMNS

Ben loves his work...Marine Mammal Day

More photos..Matt & Ben from Mammals Hard at Work

Updated photos for Marine Mammal Day 1/29/11

It's 9am at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences...did you ever see a learning center that shows temperature differences between icy water and the inside of simulated bubber?

Send me photos from your visit to Marine Mammal Day

Looking for interesting photos to post from Marine Mammals Day. While your attending Marine Mammal day consider a trip to one of the NC Aquariums or the maritime museum in Beaufort. E-mail me at hugh.obryant@gmail.com

http://www.ncmaritime.org/

http://naturalsciences.org/

http://www.ncaquariums.com/

See you at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences 1st Marine Mammal Day: 1/29/11

This is going to be a really neat event where Scientists, Museums, Aquariums, and Coastal Educators will come to share their knowledge and interests in Marine Mammals...you know Seals, Orcas, Dolphins, Manatees, Whales both big and small. I'll be there too.

Please let your friends know that the NC Museum of Natural Sciences will be hosting this event in Raleigh, NC from 9am-5pm Saturday the 29th of January 2011

Here is a link to the NCMNS
  http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=nc+museum+of+natural+sciences&aq=0&aqi=g7g-v3&aql=&oq=nc+museum+of+Natural.
Pine Knolls Shore Aquarium
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=pine+knolls+aquarium&aq=0&aqi=g7g-v3&aql=&oq=Pine+knolls+

RIght Whale Fetus Skull

 One of my latest assignments from the NC Museum of Natural Science is to extrapolate what a Right Whale Fetus Skull would look like when sculpted from scratch using research information, measurements and comparrisons to adult Right Whale Skulls. I also have fetus skull and skeleton pictures to guide me provided by Bob Rocha at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
  So,I am constructing the skull out of an armature of electical conduit and styrofoam with a gypsum cement and fiberglass skin. I'll be posting progressive construction photos and links to my webpage as well. This whale fetus skull will be mounted in the new Narure Research Center in Raleigh, NC
  The mandibles where the baleen would be are going to be connected to the brain cavity and rostrum...the entire length from tip of skull to rear of skull will be 117cm.

Outdoor Sculptural applications for Concrete

  I am beginning a series of sketches about the wildlife found at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve in Cary, NorthCarolina.
 This  site was where I tied the knot with my wife August 13th, 2000. Every year I visit this preserve in the Spring when the wildflowers bloom. Then I always attempt to visit there in January and Febuary to see the Spotted Salamanders and their Breeding ritual.
  I want to create a low 3-D relief that captures the year round beauty of this local destination...surrounded by Hemlocks and Galax.

Museum Pix