Jenny Atkinson, Executive Director of The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, Skyped with our 4th graders TWO TIMES!
She gave us a great presentation about what they do at the museum, which includes "promoting stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research."
She also helped us learn an awful lot about the Southern Resident Community of Orcas.
On our second Skype, she actually gave us a tour of the Museum!
Look at those teeth! Orcas need teeth like this because they tear off pieces of meat and swallow it. We have molars because we need to chew our food before swallowing.
This is their identification chart for the Southern Residents. It shows how all the whales in J, K, and L pods are in different family groups.
One of the programs at the Museum is the Orca Adoption Program. Our classes are adopting 2 whales!
We are adopting Granny, who is believed to be 103 years old!
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| Leigh Calvez accessed from here |
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| Monica Wieland accessed from here |
Thank you so much, Jenny. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with you and learned SO MUCH!
#mediaviewer/File:Granny_Orca.jpg){kind=link}
#mediaviewer/File:J2Granny.jpg){kind=link}
Dear Mr.Pahl,
ReplyDeleteAre We going to by the orcas?
Sincerely, Annabella
Hi Annabella!
DeleteWe don't buy them. We donate money to the Museum and they give us certificates and more information about our whales!
Mr. Pahl
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI really liked the tour around the whale museum. I learned that L pod is the largest pod in the south. Thank you for your time Jenny. (Because you went to the closet when there was Middle School students there)
Sincerely, Annabella
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI loved the whale museum, it was great. It was amazing to learn that the whales would have a fashion that is a dead salmon that means they are very smart. Thank you so much I have never thought of Skype to connect to people.
From, Benjamin/ kid sitting next to the question chair on the ground
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI liked the part where you showed us the skeletons the gray whale and the orca skeleton. I learned that in the J, K and L pods there oldest like Granny. Thank-you for seeing us instead of the whales.
From Alex,
Dear Jenny what I liked about your museum was that it had granny mentioned in It.
ReplyDeleteI learned that J pod has come around Friday harbor a lot this year or month.
Thank you for taking your time to show us around the museum
Sincerely, Silas
Dear Mr. Pahl,
ReplyDeleteOH my god we are adopting Yoda the whale I am so excited and I love the name.
From, Benjamin
Benjamin, I thought you might approve.
DeleteMr. Pahl
Dear: Jenny
ReplyDeleteJenny thank you for giving us the opportunity to learn about orcas. Thank you Jenny for telling us about granny and other fantastic orcas and how they survive. The class and I enjoyed you answering our questions and thank you for showing us around the museum.
Sincerely: Devin
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI really liked you showing us the bones of the different kinds of whales. I learned that 95% of an Orca Whale is Chinook salmon. I also learned that the oldest Orca Whale in the resort is Granny. Thank you for showing us around the whale museum, and taking time off work to Skype with us, I really appreciate it.
Sincerely, Izabelle Mr.Pahls Student
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI liked that you walked around the museum. What I learned about Orcas is 80% if their diet is Chinook salmon. The other 20% is different fish. Thank you for teaching us a lot about Orcas. For teaching us a lot about Orcas it could help us understand that Orcas are tamable and friendly to humans. But I do have a question, how do the southern resident and the northern resident hibernate if they stay at that island, where do they go?
From Elli,
Dear Mr.Pahl
ReplyDeleteHow do we adopt them? Do they stay there at the resort or do they come here with us? How do we keep track of them?
-Izabelle
Hi Izabelle,
DeleteI adopted them for us through the Whale Museum website. Look for "Adopt An Orca" on the website. You can read all about it. I will send you all the information over the summer.
Mr. Pahl
Dear Mr.Pahl,
DeleteO.K. Thank you!! I will try to check it out at home. So they do stay at the resort were they keep them?
-Izabelle
Dear Jenny, I would like to thank you for taking your time into teaching us I learned a lot about whales and dolphins when we did Skype with you. And thank you for the tour it was very cool to see the interesting things you have. And I might see you this summer. Some things I learned on the Skype with you are that an orca has never given birth to twin babies. And that baleen is the same stuff as our fingernails and hair. Also that you Identify orcas by their saddle patch and there dorsal fins. It was a great opportunity to learn about whales with you at the whale museum. And I never knew that there could be so many different types of orcas. And it is fascinating that they are so intelligent. And they figured out how to eat sharks. That is very impressive. They eat mammals and fish there the wolves in the sea and they’ve never harmed a human. And your whale museum is very interesting and you have so many fossils. And I could not believe how gig orca whales dorsal fins are so big.
ReplyDeleteFrom,
One of Mr. Pahl's students
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteWhat I loved most about the Skype with you, was that we get to talk even if were far away. One thing that I learned from you that Orca Whales when they eat, they take a big bite then shallow it whole. Next is how to identify Males, or Females Whales. Jenny thank you for taking your time for us. Thank you!
-Elizabeth Le
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteWhat I learned from you is a lot because from that little bit that you should me and the class is a lot in fact what I learned is that granny is the oldest. What I liked is that granny is a good whale she is the best the reason I said that is because she has been living for so long it's because she protect's her self. Thank you for taking the time to Skype with us so we can learn more about whales.
Signature: Yolibeth
Dear Jenny Atkinson,
ReplyDeleteSomething I liked what you did in Skype us when you compared the Gray whale and the killer whales body. Something I learned from Skype is when you told us about how whales eat. I also learned is L-pod is the biggest pod in the southern residents out of J-pod and k-pod. Thank you Jenny for Skyping with us and teaching us about killer whales
From Eric
Thank you
Dear Mr. Pahl,
ReplyDeleteAre we really going to adopt 2 Orca Whales?
-Elizabeth
Dear Jenny
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed skyping with you. I also really enjoyed the museum tour. I learned that orcas teeth are dull because the sharks skin is like sand paper which dulls the orcas teeth.
Dear Mr. Pahl,
ReplyDeleteHow are we going to take care of Granny and Yoda? Are we going to need something to put them in?
Dear Mr. Pahl,
ReplyDeleteHow are we going to take care of Granny and Yoda? Are we going to need something to put them in?
-Elizabeth
Dear Jenny Atkinston
ReplyDeleteSomething that I liked what you did in the Skype was showing us around the Whale Museum. What I learned from you is that a baby gray whale is bigger than a full grown Orca male.
Thank you for Skyping with us.
Sincerely, Gurparam
By, Izabelle
ReplyDeleteI learned that 95% of killer Whales diet is Chinook Salmon. What I think is most interesting thing about Killer Whales was that they all have different Dorsal fins. I learned that some wild killer whales were in the “Free Willie” Movie. I also learned that Granny is around 103 years old!!!
Dear Mr. Pahl,
ReplyDeleteHow are we going to take care of them? How do we afford them?
Are they coming here or staying over there?
-Elizabeth
Dear Mr. Pahl,
ReplyDeleteI thought spiking with the wale museum was nice to see new things like life in the sea. There is so many things to learn like how do you know if it is a boy or a girl but on the boy there is a oval shape on it and the girl has a thing like a heart I thank.
From Vanessa
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteOne thing I learned was that when whale are washed up, their teeth are grounded down because they eat the rough skin of sharks because their texture of their skin is like sand paper. I loved how you taught us stuff that we have never known before. I have seen you seen before for a 1rst Grade Field Trip. My mom also knows you, too. Her name is Rhonda Johnson. I have grown up in Friday Harbor. I am pretty sure you heard of the house that burned down on June 11 2010, that was my house that burned down. I want to say Thank you very much for the opportunity to Skype with you, and get taught facts about whales that we have never learned before.
Sincerely, Evyn (One of the Girls you Skyped with)
By Evyn,
ReplyDeleteI have learned that when a whale is washed up, their teeth are grounded down because they eat the rough skin of sharks. I have also learned that Marine Scientists figured out that killer whales are really dolphins.
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteThank you for helping us in Skype. You helped us with learning about whales and orcas. You are very helpful. Now I can tell the difference between male orcas and female orcas. -Alanis
Thank you Jenny
ReplyDeleteDear Jenny,
I am really happy that we skyped. I really enjoyed it. My favorite part was the board showing all of the killer whales in each of the pods. J, K, and L pod. I learned that there is such thing as an Albino killer whale.
From, Tim.
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI really liked looking at the family tree of the (I think) Southern Whale Pods over Skype. I plan on making a family tree for my family, too. I learned much about Orca Whales, including what size they could be. I really want to make the trip to Friday Harbor and drive to the Whale Museum this summer if I can. I thank you so much for taking time off your work that actually pays you, and to Skype with us. I also thank you for giving us free entry to the Whale Museum this summer. Sincerely, Miranda
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking time out of your day to Skype with the 4th graders of Sunnyland. Also thank you for choosing us over seeing whales. That was very kind of you to do that.
I have learned a lot from our Skype. I learned how big a sea lion skull really is!!!! Also seeing baleen was very cool. I had a lot of fun Skypeing with you.
Thanks again and I hope to see you soon.
From,
Tori
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI am very happy that you showed us all around the whale museum, and took lots of time out of your day to have a Skype with us. My favorite part was that you showed us how much bigger a baby gray whale was than a full-grown, adult orca. I was also very happy that you answered my question: How do you know if a baby orca is the son or daughter of another orca? My answer was that we track who swims with who, because if you are an orca, you stay with your family for your whole life. I also learned that Granny has been alive for over a hundred years- she is going to turn 104 this year! And that most resident orcas mostly eat salmon as their food, and their favorite type of salmon is Chinook. But we have also found other types of salmon as a part of their food groups. Finally, I learned that orcas are more related to dolphins that actual whales, and so they fall into the dolphins’ category, and yet we call them whales still. Thank you very much, Jenny, for taking time for us.
4th grade student
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteThank you for spending time with us. Also thank you for showing us the baleen and the seal skull. My favorite thing was the killer whale skeleton.
Sincerely, Maximus
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the Skype. We’ve learned so much more about whales from you. We really appreciate that you we’re willing to take time out of your day to Skype with us. The tour around the Whale Museum was so cool. The skeleton of the gray whale was also very cool to see. This summer I am going to San Juan island, so I might go to your museum, and maybe see you!
Sincerely, Amaya.
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteThank you for showing us around the museum. My favorite part was learning how you can tell a female orca from a male orca. It was fun learning about orcas that eat mostly sharks. Thank you for Skyping with us twice! Thank you for everything.
Sincerely,
Kylé
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteThank you for all you taught us. Thank you for spending the time to show us what baleen is. Thank you for taking your time out of your day to teach us!!!
Dear Jenny
ReplyDeleteThank you so much it was a lot of fun and I am so sorry that you missed seeing J pod. I hope that you had as much fun as my class and I had. I really liked when you showed us around the museum!
By Avarielle
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking your time jenny! It was amazing Skyping with you. I learned so much from that Skype about orcas that you filled my mind. I learned how to tell if an orcas a boy or a girl. I also learned some of their names like Granny, Yoda and Stock and lots of other names. I learned that granny was the oldest whale on the planet. I wasn’t suspecting one hundred and three. Thank you for Skeping with us and taking your time. We really appreciate it.
Sincerely, Danny
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteThank you for Dear Jenny,
Thank you for skyping with us instead of seeing the whales. Thank you for using your time to Skype with us. My favorite part of the tour was seeing the whale skeleton. Skyping with you was so much fun.
with us instead of seeing the whales. Thank you for using your time to Skype with us. My favorite part of the tour was seeing the whale skeleton. Skyping with you was so much fun.
Sincerely,
Kayden
Dear Jenny, thank you for skypeing with us twice. It was very interesting to learn about granny and that she is one hundred three years old. Thank you and I love how you let other people adopt orcas and get info every month. from Jackson
ReplyDeleteDear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteThank you for skyping with us. We really appreciate you doing this with us. I had a really fun time with you over I-pad. Thank you for taking time out of your work to Skype with us. My favorite part of the tour was the family tree. My favorite set (jkl) is k. It's my favorite because it has Yoda. I will try to come to the whale museum this summer.
Thank you!!!
-Sebastian
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking time off your schedule to talk to us. I really appreciated it. My favorite part was when you showed us the Orcas on the billboard. It showed their names and everything.
From, Asher
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the time you spent with our class on Skype. My favorite part of the Skype is when you showed us the walrus skull. I can’t believe that there are some Orcas that ear sharks. That was the best Skype yet also Mr. Pahl adapted two whales! He adapted granny and Yoda.
Sincerely, Gavin
Dear Darcie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for skyping with us and I hope we do again! I have been to the Seattle aquarium and I like the tank where you can touch the animals. I also like the otter place. The whole entire aquarium is AMAZING! I want to go there sometime soon!
- Alanis
Dear Darcie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for answering our questions.
And I’m wondering why there’s so much white goo on the starfish.
From Gurparam,
Dear Darcie
ReplyDeleteThank you Darcie for teaching me about rock fish and other fantastic creatures like star fish waste disease.
By:Brian
Dear Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI think that it was very fun skyping with you and I hope that we can do it again sometime in life. My favorite part of the tour was when we looked at the whale family tree. I still can’t believe that you can tell if a whale is a boy or a girl by their poop. I have learned a lot from you and next time I am in Friday Harbor, I am defiantly going to stop by the whale museum.
Sincerely,
Sarah M.
Dear Darcie,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed doing Google Hang Out with you. Thank you for spending time with us and answering all of our questions.
Sincerely,
Sarah M.
Toward Jenny,
ReplyDeleteThank you so considerably for the deed of doing us a thoughtful conversation on our wonder Blog having the time to talk and enjoy time to hear about local/nearby fish or water-life
Sincerely/truly, Lute A. Davis