And whalebones...

Today we decided to take visit to the recently opened Beaty Biodiversity Museum at UBC. The piece de resistance at the museum is the gigantic blue whale skeleton suspended in the atrium. It really is magnificent to see. The mind boggles at what the size of the whale must be with it's flesh and fat.

The exhibits are in the ceiling to floor display cabinets on the left of the picture

The museum itself is very interesting, showcasing thousands of specimens; vertebrates, to plants, to fish, to fossils. 

A collection of taxidermy from the Victorian era...when stuffing and displaying was big

Some of the exhibits are a little macabre...but interesting

It is a work in progress and I think it would be just as well to go next year when more specimens are on display.

"Eye of newt, and toe of frog..."

There were lots and lots of things in jars, which we found fascinating. Apparently the museum has the 3rd largest fish collection in Canada. Along with the exhibits are explanations of biodiversity, facts and history of various animals etc. All in all I think the educational aspect is done very well. There is even a "family area" with books and crafts for kids to do. Here is something we learned....that nearly every shell you find here on the beach is actually an invasive species. And I'd never heard of "Carrier Shell Snails" that glue shells onto there backs for camouflage, often in interesting patterns.

There was a lot that was not yet on display. I look forward to seeing a bigger bug collection on display, for example. The vertebrae collection is fascinating. Quite the collection of stuffed animals too. Many of them donated. There is a cabinet dedicated to Victorian collections. There was a time when nearly everyone would have a display case of stuffed animals, eggs, and curios.

It was not easy to get good pictures because of the low lighting and the fact that you are not allowed to use flash. But I think if you had the right equipment, you could probably get some good shots. Bronwyn loved it and was really entranced by all there was to see. In particular she was in awe of the whale. We even earned a parent "merit" award. She said, "You are really good parents because I really wanted to see the whale, and you took me!" River spent his time running up and down and around and Mark and I took turns running after him. C'est la vie. We didn't take the stroller because we want to encourage him to walk around. He'll probably get more out of it when he's a bit older. Anyway, we think it's worth the price of admission: $12 for adults, $8 for kids over four. And you can bask in the awesome whale exhibit anytime because it is not part of the admission to the museum.