TORONTO.- The Royal Ontario Museum will open a new exhibition, Out of the Depths: The Blue Whale Story, on Saturday, March 11, 2017. The exhibition explores the story of the nine blue whales from the endangered North Atlantic population that became stranded in thick ice and died. Two of these specimens came ashore in Trout River and Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland in May 2014. In cooperation with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the ROM and Research Casting International travelled to the site and recovered the skeletons, their DNA and other important biological information. This Canadian recovery story was followed closely by millions of people around the world.

The exhibition is a collaborative project led by the ROM’s Dr. Mark Engstrom, Senior Curator and Deputy Director of Collections and Research, with colleagues Burton Lim, Assistant Curator of Mammalogy; Jacqueline Miller, Mammalogy Technician; Oliver Haddrath, Ornithology Technician; and Dave Ireland, Managing Director of ROM Biodiversity. The centrepiece of the exhibition is a fully articulated Blue Whale skeleton, one of the largest and most complete Blue Whale skeletons on display in the world. The exhibition will lead the Museum’s Canada 150 programming with its March launch.

“Out of the Depths: The Blue Whale Story will be an extraordinary exhibition. It shares the story of one of the most awe-inspiring animals that has ever lived and highlights the important research and conservation work that the ROM leads around the world. We’re delighted to share this very Canadian story with visitors during Canada’s Sesquicentennial year,” said Josh Basseches, ROM Director and CEO.

“Blue whales have captured our imagination through their sheer size and extreme adaptation to aquatic life. The chance to share the recovery story with our visitors is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Mark Engstrom. “We are grateful to our colleagues, here and in Newfoundland for their invaluable support on this exhibition and its link to the incredible research uncovered.”