New England Aquarium

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The New England Aquarium’s recently completed New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center featuring a Northern fur seal exhibit, which connects the Aquarium’s main building with Boston Harbor.

The New England Aquarium is a global leader in ocean exploration and marine conservation. The Aquarium uses innovative exhibits and education programs to encourage audiences worldwide to Live Blue for a better planet. From leading expeditions to some of the most remote places on the planet to running education programs in Boston’s inner city neighborhoods, the Aquarium has a vast array of projects that are dedicated to educating the public about the most challenging problems facing the oceans today. The Aquarium is among the region’s most-visited tourist attractions and is the only cultural institution in Boston whose mission focuses primarily on the environment. Each year, the Aquarium acts as an educational resource for more than 130,000 school children and thousands of teachers throughout New England. Its website is an electronic gateway to for ocean conservation issues and provides unique research and information from across the globe.

Collaborator Contributions

Phoenix’s Callosities

A close up view of Phoenix and the rough patches of skin known as callosities that are found on all North Atlantic right whales. These callosities are inhabited by small amphipods called whale lice and they can be used to identify an individual right whale much like fingerprints. More about the right whale can be found in our Tale of a Whale featured story.

Phoenix's Tail

The right whale named Phoenix as seen in 2004 off the coast.

Phoenix: Tail Scarring

An early scale model of North Atlantic right whale Phoenix indicates the location of scars on her tail from entanglements with fishing gear. More about the right whale can be found in our Tale of a Whale featured story.

Whales are identifiable by their distinct pattern of callosities.

Whale Callosities

Every North Atlantic right whale has a pattern of callosities unique to that individual. This distinctive pattern provides a very visual, convenient tool that researchers can use to tell one individual from another.

Meet Phoenix—One of about 450 remaining North Atlantic Right Whales

Since 1987, researchers have been tracking Phoenix. More about whales can be found in our Tale of a whale featured story.

This whale poop was collected with the help of specially trained dogs.

The Search for Whale Poop

Fargo, the dog pictured here, is not just having a nice day at sea. He is helping researchers at the New England Aquarium in Boston detect scat (or poop) from North Atlantic right whales. The dogs find about four times more whale poop with their scent detection than the researchers would using other methods. Researchers analyze the scat to learn more about the health and reproduction of the whales.

<p>A right whale breaches, lifting its huge body out of the water.</p>

North Atlantic Right Whale Breaching

The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world's largest animals, but scientists estimate that fewer than 450 remain. Find out why so few remain and take a look at the largest whale.

Can Right Whales Recover?

Phoenix rises out of the waters east of Cape Cod, MA, in April 2003. The rough patches of skin (known as callosities) occur in unique patterns on all North Atlantic right whales and help researchers identify and track individual whales. More about the right whale can be found in our Tale of a Right Whale photo essay.

Stumpy’s Tail

A view of the injured fluke belonging to Phoenix’s mother, Stumpy. It is not known what caused this injury. It possibly could have been an entanglement. More about whales can be found in our Tale of a whale featured story.

Ship and North Atlantic Right Whale

North Atlantic right whales and ocean-going vessels often cross paths.

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Collaborator Lesson Plans

Tale of a Whale

Grade Level: 6-8