The Nha Trang Oceanographic Museum located inside the Institute of Oceanography (01 Cau Da, Nha Trang City) is a prime destination for tourists. 

The museum houses a diverse collection of ocean creatures and conducts marine research. 

Since its establishment in 1923, the Institute of Oceanography has collected and preserved more than 20,000 specimens and more than 4,000 sea and freshwater species. The institute also has a number of live specimens in their aquariums. 

For Vietnamese fishermen, the whale is a legendary beast. In fact, there are numerous temples dedicated to dead whales. Also known as ca ong (lord fish), whales are tremendous mammals who give birth and feed their offspring with milk. 

According to the researchers, the whale has existed for more than 70mil years, but is currently in danger of extinction as a result of hunting. Since 1931, many countries have actively protected the whale through whale protection agreements. 

This year, the museum has added new specimens and dedicated a 250-square-meter area to displaying whales. 

Within the exhibition area, the skeleton of a giant Humpback whale stretching 19-meters long and weighing nearly one ton has made a strong impression on tourists. 

While digging a ditch in 1994, the people of Hai Hau Commune in Nam Ha Province discovered the skeleton 1.2-meters below the surface. 

The site of the skeleton was four kilometers from the sea, but in the past, was a beach. The work of moving and restoring the skeleton took great care and effort from all parties involved. 

The exhibition area also features a skeleton of a Dugong, a large marine mammal, which died in early 1997 at Lo Voi, Con Dao National Park in Vung Tau. The skeleton spans 273 centimeters and weighs 300 kilograms. The Dugong was considered a mermaid in ancient Greek tales due to its howling, which resembled a woman singing. 

The exhibition also includes illustrated images of whale skeletons from throughout the country including two that died in 1995; one at Tho Chu Island from the Quang Ninh Museum and another that died in Tien Hai District from the Thai Binh Museum. The one from Thai Binh stretches 13.5 meters with 13 sets of ribs. An image of the skeleton of the largest Fin Whale is also on display. It measures two meters in length and was discovered in 1850 and is currently preserved in Van Thuy Tu (Phan Thiet). 

In addition to skeletal structures and images, the exhibit features pictures and movies about the life of different types of whales such as the Humpback, North Pacific Right and Bryde. 

The exhibition at the Oceanographic Museum is not only informative, but also educates the public about preserving these precious creatures.

Source : SGT

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