Bournedale Elementary School Students Step Inside Salt the Humpback Whale

Carol “Krill” Carson, founder and president of the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA), stands inside Salt the Humpback Whale, and delivers an anatomy lesson. (Photo Courtesy Bourne Public Schools)

BOURNE — The first graders removed their shoes and lined up single-file before climbing into the inflatable humpback whale.

Superintendent Dr. Kerri Anne Quinlan-Zhou, Principal Elizabeth Carpenito and PK-2 STEAM Teacher Antonia Perry are thrilled to share a recent visit to Bournedale Elementary School by Carol “Krill” Carson, founder and president of the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA), and her life-sized inflatable model of “Salt the Humpback Whale.”

Salt is modeled after a real whale of the same name, spotted annually off Cape Cod, and named for the white, salty-looking scarring on her tail. She was first identified and named in 1975.

“Salt is the most famous humpback whale in the world,” Carson said while helping to inflate the massive mammal’s doppelganger. “Salt is about 45 feet long and really gets the kids excited about whales.”

Carson got to know the real Salt while working on a whale-watching vessel. Carson actually earned her nickname, “Krill,” on the boat — all crewmembers on board and even the whales received nicknames. Krill are small marine crustaceans found in the ocean and a favorite snack of whales.

One at a time, students slid sideways through a narrow entrance built into the side of the inflatable Salt. While inside the gymnasium-length whale, Carson delivered a sea mammal anatomy lesson, pointing out her ribs, lungs and heart.

The youngsters sat on small black pads in the whale’s belly. They shot their hands up into the air, eagerly asking questions, as they passed around a real whale vertebra.

“As a society, we’ve been killing whales for hundreds of years,” said Carson, a shrimp and whale biologist. “But you can’t learn much from a dead whale.”

Inflatable Salt is a lot like a bounce house, but there’s no bouncing allowed. Two large pumps continuously fill the whale with air, keeping it plump and imposing.

The program also included themed learning stations and craft-making tables. Students explored whale anatomy, learned about marine ecosystems and engaged in hands-on science activities.

“This event directly connects to our first graders’ science research unit on animals, helping them explore how mammals, like whales, depend on their environments and other living things to survive,” said Perry. “It also supports the Massachusetts state science standard. ‘Salt the Whale’ provides an immersive, memorable experience that deepens students’ understanding of marine life while encouraging scientific inquiry, creativity and environmental awareness.”

Students listened to humpback music, made paper whale tails and put their hands in a Crisco-filled bag submerged in ice water, to experience how blubber insulates.

“Would you rather be a skinny fish or a big fat polar bear?” Carson asked the kids, telling them how whales, similar to polar bears and seals, all use blubber to insulate them from the cold. The kids’ vote was unanimous. They chose the blubber.

This program was funded in part by a grant from the Bourne Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Salt visited Bournedale Elementary for two days on May 20 and 21.

“We are especially grateful to the Bourne Cultural Council for supporting this two-day event,” said Perry. “Their continued commitment to enriching arts and science education in schools makes programs like this possible.”

A row of tiny sneakers formed outside the whale. It gently rocked as students squeezed inside.

“At Bourne Public Schools, we build interactive learning experiences into our everyday curriculum,” said Superintendent Dr. Quinlan-Zhou. “Our visit from Salt and Krill Carson thrilled our youngest students but also taught them so many lessons about science and our environment. These are lessons our students will likely remember for their entire lives.”

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Students learned a whale of a lesson at Bournedale Elementary School on May 20 and 21. They had the opportunity to climb inside an inflatable humpback whale with Carol “Krill” Carson, founder and president of the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance. (Photo Courtesy Bourne Public Schools)

Three Bournedale Elementary first graders laughed and clapped while sitting in the comfort of an inflatable whale’s armpit. (Photo Courtesy Bourne Public Schools)

Students lined up single file and crab-walked through a slit in the side of Salt the Humpback Whale. (Photo Courtesy Bourne Public Schools)

Carol “Krill” Carson showed first graders a huge whale bone. The kids passed it back and forth, amazed at how little the massive bone weighed. It does have to float, after all, Carson told the kids. (Photo Courtesy Bourne Public Schools)

Carol “Krill” Carson and some first graders lifted Salt’s tail to see its white underside. Salt got her name from the white, salt-like scars on her tail and fins. (Photo Courtesy Bourne Public Schools)

Students listened to and composed humpback music inside a small tent in the Bournedale Elementary School gymnasium. (Photo Courtesy Bourne Public Schools)

A row of tiny sneakers formed outside the whale. It gently rocked as students squeezed inside. (Photo Courtesy Bourne Public Schools)

This program was funded in part by a grant from the Bourne Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. (Photo Courtesy Bourne Public Schools)