Whale Bus Outreach

Spring 2013 reservations are still available! Contact us today to schedule your next 'in class' field trip!

The Whale Bus is a van that travels to your site transforming your classroom into a marine mammal museum with real specimens such as bones, pelts, and baleen. We bring an ocean field trip to your classroom! All presentations include hands-on activities and exploration of specimens. Programs teach students about the lives of marine mammals as well as the bigger picture of caring for the marine environment. The Marine Mammal Center is a wildlife hospital; therefore, we do not bring live animals.

General Information (please scroll down to find the reservation request form)

There is a two-program minimum to reserve the Whale Bus if your location is within a 50 mile distance from The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. If your location is greater than 50 miles from the Center in Sausalito, we require a three-program minimum. At this time, the furthest the Whale Bus will travel is 65 miles from the Center. Our instructor can teach up to four presentations in one day, reaching up to 140 students. However, only one program topic can be presented each day.

At your site we will need:

• The same room for all presentations
• 2 to 5 tables already set-up in the room for specimens/activities
• Access to the room 1 hour before and after the presentation
• Convenient parking for the Whale Bus
• Assistance of an adult or older student for unloading and loading
• 15 minutes between presentations
• Programs with PowerPoint presentations require a darkened room with a screen or blank wall

Group size:

Up to 35 students (up to 30 for Pre-K/K)

Presentation length:

One hour (45 minutes for Pre-K/K)

Fees:  
(All prices are subject to change without notice.)

2 Programs $320 ($160 each)
3 Programs $435 ($145 each)
4 Programs $520 ($130 each) 

Description of Whale Bus Program Topics

Quick Chart:  Click on the grade level or program topic to read the detailed descriptions and go to the Reservation Request Form.

Reservation Information

Please fill out the Reservation Request Form after reading the Descriptions of Whale Bus Programs by Grade using the Quick Chart below. You will receive a reply by phone or email within two weeks of your request.  Once we confirm your reservation request, you will receive a confirmation packet and invoice by email or mail.

 Grades Pre-K to 5th

 Wonderful Whales

Beautiful, mysterious and magnificent, whales fascinate many of us. Students examine specimens, including baleen, krill and bones to learn about different types of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises). Participants in 2nd grade and up assemble the skeleton of a pygmy sperm whale; younger grades "dress up" a student as a whale to learn about body parts and adaptations.

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 Marine Mammals of California

Students learn about the similarities and differences in appearance and behavior of marine mammals living along the California coast. Sounds and aquatic adaptations are highlighted! Pre-K through first graders compare seals, otters and whales through pictures, touch, music and movement. Older students enjoy a PowerPoint presentation that shows animals in their habitats, and also take part in an ID game. A rope-length activity helps everyone imagine the vast difference in sizes between marine mammals.

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 Grades 6th through 12th

 Adventures in Anatomy

Humans and marine mammals share many similar anatomical characteristics, yet they have adapted over time to thrive in different environments. Students compare human and marine mammal anatomy while assembling the skeleton of a pygmy sperm whale. Three stations using our unique specimen collection teach students about the anatomy, adaptations and feeding strategies of marine mammals.

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 Marine Mammals of California

Students learn about the similarities and differences in appearance and behavior of marine mammals living along the California coast. Sounds and aquatic adaptations are highlighted! Pre-K through first graders compare seals, otters and whales through pictures, touch, music and movement. Older students enjoy a PowerPoint presentation that shows animals in their habitats, and also take part in an ID game. A rope-length activity helps everyone imagine the vast difference in sizes between marine mammals.

Frequently Asked Questions | Reservation Request Form | Back to Top