Tomorrow, your opportunity to watch a whale of a tale
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They may not be furry or something soft to snuggle with, but that doesn’t mean that our barnacled animal friends don’t deserve some of our love and attention. Fans of the world’s largest marine mammals can enjoy a new special on the National Geographic Channel called ‘Kingdom of the Blue Whale,’ which airs Sunday at 8 p.m. Our colleague Pete Thomas at the Outposts blog has the details:
The documentary will chronicle the efforts of scientists as they locate and tag blue whales off California -- where the mammals spend summer months -- and rejoin the graceful leviathans at the Costa Rica Dome far beyond the shore of the Central American nation. These experts have spent years observing and filming courtship and feeding behavior of blue whales and part of their mission for the documentary is ‘to find and record the Holy Grail of blue whale science -- the breeding and calving grounds of the biggest mammals in the sea.’ Also touched upon are the fairly recent vessel-strike fatalities of four blue whales in one season off California, and what can be done to help prevent these accidents in the future.
Following their lives from birth to death, the program includes the first-ever footage of a newborn whale -- which, at 25 feet, is definitely one of the largest babies we’ve ever seen. As part of their mission, these scientists have provided a treat that those on land and in sea can enjoy.
-- Michelle Castillo
Video: National Geographic Channel