THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 15, 1996 TAG: 9606210734
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: SPECIAL EDITION: A VISITOR'S GUIDE TO THE EXPANDED VIRGINIA MARINE
SCIENCE MUSEUM
SOURCE: BY ROY A. BAHLS
STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 44 lines
There's a whale washed up on the beach, or a dolphin in distress. Whom do you call? The museum's stranding team, of course.
Museum staff and volunteers are ready to respond to stranded or dead animals on area beaches. If possible, our offshore friends will be nursed back to health and returned to the wild.
A new exhibit in the museum's main building explains the stranding team's work.
``Mostly what we deal with are dolphins, whales and turtles,'' said Chris Mast, exhibit specialist.
``The museum is federally permitted for the work that the team does, because many of the animals are threatened or endangered.''
Unfortunately, most of the calls the team receives are for dead creatures on the beach.
``There's a lot we can learn from the dead animals,'' Mast said. ``It helps us better understand the animals, like if they are accumulating toxins in their tissues. We also see what they've been eating.''
The stranding team exhibit includes videos of the team in action, and a diagram showing what information can be obtained from various parts of a dolphin.
An adjacent marine mammals exhibit includes large informational panels and touch-screen videos.
``It highlights the marine mammals we find in Virginia waters,'' Mast said.
Visitors can test their knowledge with a matching game and also view scenes of the whale- and dolphin-watch activities.
To report a stranded or injured marine animal call the museum hotline at 437-4961.
ILLUSTRATION: STEVE EARLEY
The Virginian-Pilot
Workers position a 35-foot model of a humpback whale in the marine
mammal exhibit area. by SS