Cetacean Month Week 2 History of in Bermuda were crucial to the development of the first settlements in the New World, including Bermuda. Colonies were dependent on whaling for survival. Humpback were said to have kept settlers awake at night with their playful behaviour on South Shore. Whaling in Bermuda began as early as 1616. By the 1800’s it was a strong part of the economy. and were used for everything. Baleen was said to be “the plastic of the 1800’s”. Whale was used to power lights and manufacture goods, such as , rope and textiles. Whale blubber was cut into large sheets and cooked down to make the oil. Whale blubber is the fatty tissue of a whale that allows it to withstand freezing cold water temperatures.

Activity to try at home - Make your own blubber glove Research question: How do Humpbacks and other mammals survive in freezing cold water? For this activity you will need, 2 ziplock bags, a bowl of ice water, (Crisco) and duct tape. Fill one ziplock with the shortening place the other ziplock inside and tape the openings together so that you can put your hand in the second ziplock without touching the shortening. Place one hand in the ice water and see how long you can leave it in before it becomes too cold. With the other hand, place it in the ziplock bag, making sure the shortening is around your hand and place it into the bowl. What do you notice about the temperature? Can you keep your hand in longer? Draw a Humpback whale! You will need sidewalk chalk, a measuring tape and a printout of the whale images attached on Page 2. A humpback can grow up to 50 feet long, with 16 foot flippers!! Tip: Use a safe road or path to draw your humpback! Challenge: If you have the space, draw a blue whale, they can grow up to 100 feet long! Share: Send us a picture of your whale on our padlet account, scan QR code with the camera app on your phone.

Eco-Schools Connection - Sustainable foods. The humpback whale populations were devastated by commercial whaling. However, since the ban in 1986, the humpback whale populations have made a strong recovery to 93% of their original size. Many marine species are being fished to devastation like this. What can we do to support sustainable seafood markets? Buy local fish from the store or choose the local catch of the day at a restaurant over the imported seafood option. Try it today! Read more at www.seafoodwatch.org