Exhibition: Mammals in the Depths - The Wonderful World of Marine Mammals

The Wondrous World of Marine Mammals in the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Eilat Exhibition in cooperation with the IMMRAC association - Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance Center The Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies, University of Haifa In memory of Tal (Talsky) Ayalon, of blessed memory Exhibition opening: Friday, 04.07.25, 10:00 (Closing: Saturday, 26.06.27) Curator: Adi Shelach Skeleton of a common dolphin | Photo: Jenny Katzner Since the dawn of history, marine mammals have drawn the curiosity of seafarers, sparked their imagination, and also stirred fears in them. Whales, dolphins, and sea monsters appear in mythological stories in every culture that lived along the shores of seas and oceans and found in the sea a source of life. Even today, in an era when science and technology can explain and document many phenomena once hidden from the eye, marine mammals continue to cast their spell over people. They draw to the sea those who wish to explore, with curiosity and passion, their way of life. The exhibition before you is the result of this special bond between humans and nature. It brings to the museum, for the first time, exhibits attesting to the highly diverse presence of marine mammals in our region. The deep-sea mammals of the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Eilat — an extension of the Indian Ocean — include various species of cetaceans (whales and dolphins) and one seal. The special findings attesting to their existence are brought to us by a special group, the IMMRAC association, whose members devote their best efforts to researching the world of marine mammals and helping protect their habitat. IMMRAC's members, most of them volunteers, document marine mammals through surveys, work diligently on developing practical solutions to the hazards that endanger them, and hold educational activities to raise public awareness of the issue. They also collect cetaceans that have died and washed ashore — a phenomenon known in Hebrew as "hechafa" (in English: stranding or beaching). Fresh specimens are sent for post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death, and various samples are taken from them, while non-fresh specimens are buried to decompose the soft tissue and preserve the bones. In this way, over three decades, a large and impressive comparative collection of skeletons or skeletal parts, mainly skulls, has been built — a process that allows them to be studied up close. This is the most comprehensive display in Israel to date devoted to marine mammals. It includes skeletons, skulls, and bones of 11 different cetacean species, out of 18 species whose presence has been documented in Israel's waters. Since the sea never stops surprising us, it is reasonable to assume that additional items will be added to this exhibition's collection in the future. Adi Shelach Curator, the National Maritime Museum