Whales, Dolphins, & Giant Squid... OH MY!

Up until last week, I was under the impression that blue whales were extinct. Don't blame my education. It was the 90's. I'm pretty sure everyone believed they were extinct. I mean, we still believed Pluto was a planet, right? Crazy times.

*Ahem*

Anyway, I'm sure you will be relieved to hear I now know that, although endangered, blue whales are not extinct.

I can also tell you that a blue whale's tongue weighs as much as an adult elephant.

And that sperm whales and giant squid are mortal enemies.

And that killer whales are the fastest mammals in the ocean.

And that narwhals are the source of the unicorn myths.

And that great white sharks can sense a drop of blood in the water up to 3 miles away.

And that the eyeball of a giant squid can be as big as a beach ball.

It's true. I am now the mini-van driving, nap-time enforcing, brownie-baking Jacques Cousteau.

It all started with this chica. We call her E. (Really, it's true.) Not many people are cool enough to rock the single-letter moniker.

It all started with E and a puzzle. E has a penchant for all things "of the sea" so when she came to visit, she brought a 4 foot ocean puzzle to share with a certain 4 year old girl. It was a pretty sweet puzzle. How can a 4 foot puzzle complete with everything from a sperm whale to a clown fish NOT be sweet, I ask you?

Little did we know the onslaught of marine curiosity that said puzzle would spark.

These are the books we now read all day:

These are the pictures we now draw when we're not busy reading:

Our conversations are now filled with questions like: How big exactly is a dolphin compared to a dog? How many school buses big is a blue whale again? Who wins when sperm whales and giant squid fight? How high can dolphins jump? How big is a jellyfish? Bigger than a crab? What do killer whales eat? Why do humpbacks sing like that? And my current favorite: Where do whales poop so they don't make the ocean all dirty with their poop?

Janelle's fascination/obsession with sea creatures perfectly coincides with the annual visit of the January Doldrums. So this year we cooked up a fun little plan: at the end of the month we will be visiting the National Aquarium in Baltimore. We are psyched.

So thank you, E, for igniting Nelly's ocean-passion and giving us an excuse for a mid-winter, mini-vacation. But the next time I hear a whale poop question, I am going to tell her to call and ask you.