Whales: Giants of the Deep
March 23, 2013 — January 5, 2014
Traveling

Sperm whale.
© Brandon Cole
© Brandon Cole
Stylized model of the maihi (bargeboards or gables) from Whitireia meeting house. The central tekoteko (carved figure) is Paikea, the famous whale-riding ancestor of the local tribe.
© Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2008. Reproduced with the generous support of Ngati Konohi, 2007
© Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2008. Reproduced with the generous support of Ngati Konohi, 2007
Skeletons of early whales cast from fossils are featured in the "Whale Lab" section of the exhibition.
© Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2008
© Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2008
© Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2008
Two articulated sperm whale skeletons, of a 58.4-foot male and 32-foot female, are a highlight of the exhibition.
© Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2008
© Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2008
© Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
© Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2008
© Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2008
© Museum Te Papa Tongarewa, 2008
© Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2008
Whales: Giants of the Deep was developed and presented by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. This exhibition was made possible through the support of the New Zealand Government.

The American Museum of Natural History gratefully acknowledges the Richard and Karen LeFrak Exhibition and Education Fund.
Generous support for Whales: Giants of the Deep has been provided by the Eileen P. Bernard Exhibition Fund.