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A Bird’s Eye View of Whales

March 25, 2020

Allison Henry, NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, MA

Whales are among the largest and oldest animals on earth and belong to a group of marine mammals called cetaceans. Talk to a member of NOAA’s North Atlantic right whale aerial survey team and learn how they do science from the sky. (Grades 2-6)

Resources to access at home:

» Picture Matching- Right Whales: COAST Program activity used in our lesson to match North Atlantic right whale drawings to the real right whale picture. Answer key
» North Atlantic right whale catalog: The catalog contains all the photographed sitings of right whales from the North Atlantic.
» Right Whale Listening Network: Learn about North Atlantic Right Whales and how acoustic buoys can help prevent ship strikes.
» Northeast Regional Office- North Atlantic right whale lesson: Discover the world of the North Atlantic right whale through lessons and activities on the biology, ecology, and conservation of this endangered species (Grades 6-8).
» NOAA Right Whale Sighting Advisory System – Interactive map of North Atlantic right whale sightings.
» National Geographic- Blue Whale Migration Activity: This activity allows you to map blue whale migration and develop stories to explain their behavior.
» NOAA Ocean Today Endangered Ocean: There are several short videos on topics ranging from the endangered species act, manatees, North Atlantic right whales, and more.