Marine Exhibits

Steller Sea Cow

Hydrodamalis gigas (extinct)

Skull and mandible replica

The Stellers's Sea Cow was first described by scientist Georg Steller in 1741 (Drawing by Georg Steller).

By 1768, the animals were hunted to extinction. The sea cows fed on kelp and grew up to 25 feet long, 22 feet around, and weighed approximately 10 tons. Herds congregated in shallow waters, near shore and were easy targets for hunters which primarily used their meat for food.

Narwhal

Monodon monoceros ("one tooth one horn")

Male Arctic Narwhals have a single distinctive, twisted left tooth or tusk which grows forward through the top lip. Rarely some will also grow a smaller right tusk. The function of the tusk is still a mystery, but may be for dominance or even serve as a sensory organ. These active mammals congregate in small groups. Males weigh up to 1600 kg (3500 lbs); females 1000 kg (2200 lbs).

They can dive to 6000 feet to feed on Greenland halibut, but may also eat other fish, shrimp and squid. Its migration routes restrict what it eats. Because of this and needing to live in heavy Arctic ice, they are endangered by global climate change.

(This is a replica of a male Narwhal.)

The Whale's Ancestor

Basilosaurus isis

from the Eocene of Egypt

Basilosaurus isis translates to "king lizard". It was a large Eocene (54.8 to 33.7 millions of years ago) whale which was misidentified and misname as a marine reptile. The serrated edges on the teeth are proof of its terrestrial ancestors. Basilosaurus has been found in Eocene rocks of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

(On loan from the California Academy of Sciences.)