Humpbacks of New England arrive at Lynn Library

LYNN – About 25 children gathered at Lynn Library on Wednesday morning for the chance to explore the lives and habits of the humpback whale.Humpbacks of New England was provided by whale researcher Cynde McInnis, who created the Whale Mobile as an interactive learning tool to inspire a young generation of ocean advocates.McInnis and her fellow researchers Brian Baker and KC Bloom, along with their 43-foot inflatable humpback whale Nile, put on a multimedia presentation that included images, audio recordings and photographs of humpbacks, the whale most commonly spotted off the Massachusetts coast.Participants went inside Nile?s belly to get a closer look at how the mammal?s body functions from its interior. The kids also took part in other activities where they learned to identify whales by the distinct markings on their tails and also learned about how environmental pollution negatively impacts the ocean ecosystem.McInnis? opening presentation captured the attention of the young audience by drawing a connection between sea plankton and a character by the same name on the popular children?s cartoon “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and even likened the whale?s annual migration to a grandparent?s trip south for the winter.McInnis said that whales come to the Massachusetts coast to feed during the warmer months, and that after 21 years working on the whale watches, the sightings this summer have been very unique.?This summer is a really bizarre summer, it?s probably the weirdest year that I?ve had so far,” McInnis said. “Some days we go out and there are 30 whales out there,” She said. “But then they disappear, and in a couple days, there is another 30, and in two or three days, they move on.”McInnis currently works for Cape Ann Whale Watch in Gloucester, and she even brought coupons for the Cape Ann Whale Watch so that the kids can take what they learned Thursday and see the whales in their natural habitat.