Overview of Sanctuary Splash/ Big Mama Programming

• Designed as a three part lesson – able to fit into two parts when requested

1. Intro to the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and cetaceans (1 hour)

2. Humpback whale anatomical tours (40 min)

3. Science of underwater acoustics and whale songs & sounds (1+ hour)

• Program runs from early September to late February

• Port Angeles School District• Hamilton Elementary• Jefferson Elementary• Dry Creek Elementary• Roosevelt Elementary• Franklin Elementary

• Sequim School District• Greywolf Elementary• Helen Haller Elementary• Olympic Peninsula Academy

• Crescent School• Neah Bay Elementary• Clallam Bay Elementary• Forks Elementary School• Quileute Tribal School

2018-2019 579 Students Reached

2017-2018 325 Students Reached

Interactive classroom lessons• Learn to “listen like a whale”

• Tuning fork exploration after learning that cetaceans use their jaws as an “ear”

• Spectrogram Charades• Predicting what a spectrogram will

sound like based on the graph produced• Drawing a sound that they hear in a clip

based on knew knowledge of how sounds appear in a spectrogram

Hands on anatomical tours• Blubber Bag

• Feel how blubber keeps these large mammals warm

• Whale bones & body structure• Fluke Pattern ID

• Learn about how each humpback has a “fingerprint” on their fluke

Orca

2017 – 2018 School Year• 237 Students increased Knowledge

(by one point)• 252 pledges of behavior changes to

help keep the ocean a healthy place for humpback whales

2018 – 2019 School Year• 332 Students increased knowledge (by

3 points)• 325 pledges of behavior changes to

help keep the ocean a healthy place for humpback whales

**at least 100 students from Greywolf Elementary did not finish the program

Beachcombers Fun Fair

NOAA Open House

The program lessons don’t translate perfectly into large outreach events but the anatomical tours are a hit with families and provide a wonderful opportunity to introduce people to the Sanctuary system in a fun lovable way.

Maintenance of Big Mama• Cleaning / Sanitizing after the school year • Repairs and upkeep of the material

(stitching and wear & tear) as well as the large fans for inflation

• Storage options Other things to consider…• Sanctuary Splash is currently

supported by AmeriCorps service members at OCNMS and requires 2dedicated educators to successfully schedule and run the program.

• To expand the program further down the outer coast there will be more travel time for the education team as well as a longer program “season”

Space for Programming• She’s 45 ft long by 36 ft wide due to her

wingspan and not all schools have room for this

http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov