Big Game

More of the displays around the Mammal Gallery today. Grizzlies start things off, followed by pronghorns and thinhorn sheep.

The moose is followed by bison and wolves.

While caribou, musk oxen, and a sled dog finish this set.

Mammals

The Mammal Gallery focuses on North American wildlife, particularly in terms of what we find in Canada. Most of them are set up in large displays simulating the environment the animals come from, complete with back walls that are painted to suggest a distant landscape. We start with polar bears, an Arctic fox, and Arctic hares.

This display features beavers.

While this features a mountain lion and her cubs.

One of the more unusual displays is a camera that operates on thermal vision- in this case it shows a mother and child who were in camera range. 

Marine Life

The Water Gallery here is filled with a lot in its two sections; most of what I photographed this time out was in the first area, including these displays.

I leave off where I began, with a look at some of the inhabitants of the aquarium.

Of The Sea

The Water Gallery is a fascinating portion of the Museum of Nature, exhibiting both ocean and freshwater environments, as well as the ecosystems thriving around water. Stepping through the front entrance brings the visitor first to a wall, which this aquarium is set into. There's a good reason why that wall is there- it makes it all the more dramatic when you step around and see the centrepiece of the gallery.

And that is the skeleton of a blue whale. I've been in this gallery numerous times since the renovations were completed, and this never ceases to impress me.

A nearby display features sculptures comparing the size of a human to three of the ocean's biggest creatures- the blue whale, the whale shark, and the giant squid.

Another nearby display shows how much of the whale's skeleton is covered with blubber.

And among the display cases are a number of miniatures of whales, from the biggest ones to the smaller ones.

More from this gallery tomorrow, but I'll leave off with this panel.

The Lantern

A reminder to members of City Daily Photo: the theme day for May 1st is Smell.

Here we have a look out from the third floor balcony through the framed arch to the Queens' Lantern.

Going into the Lantern again, there are a number of panels on the building, its history, and the collections it has housed. The fact that former prime minister Wilfred Laurier lay in state here after his death was notable; it's suggested by some that his ghost still haunts these halls.

Moving down to the second level, stained glass caught my eye. Down on the second floor, this part of the Lantern is open, and used for various activities. The museum can be used for private occasions, such as weddings. A plaque can be found down here as well, unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010, and so the Lantern is named in honour of both Victoria and Elizabeth.

Rock Steady

Here are some more images from within the Earth Gallery.

A cave has been added here as well.

And I leave off with a selfie; a camera is set up among a section of displays on metamorphic rocks that allows one to metamorph your face. I'll be leaving those photos for a theme day down the line.

Earth Gallery

One of the permanent galleries here is the Earth Gallery, which focuses on rocks, minerals, crystals, and the essentials of planetary processes. This includes display panels, samples of rock types, and cases filled with mineral and gems. I have more from this gallery tomorrow.