The biggest, life-sized inflatable whale in New York — large enough for visitors to walk inside — will be touring Long Island communities this winter.
The Whaling Museum & Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor recently unveiled its new 45-foot-long inflatable sperm whale, the only one of its kind in the state. The project was made possible by a $16,500 grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation and a $1,500 grant from the Long Island Library Resource Council.
Museum educators will use the giant inflatable for their “Museum-To-You” traveling program, bringing hands-on whale education to libraries, classrooms, and community centers across Long Island.
Visitors will be able to step inside the whale for an up-close look at its inner anatomy and learn about the animal’s connection to Long Island’s rich whaling history.
Earlier this month, the museum debuted the inflatable during its “Great Whale Takeover” event. Standing 9 feet tall and 10 feet wide, the life-size replica gave visitors a true sense of scale.
“The first impression was how big it is,” said Cristina Ainslie, the museum’s assistant director. “When you see a whale in a video, you don’t always get the sense of scale — but when you stand next to it, you realize it’s a really large, beautiful animal.”
The inflatable’s design includes white lines representing scars from squid battles and boat propellers, details Ainslie said make it appear strikingly lifelike.
“The eyes are especially fascinating,” she said. “They’re on the sides of the head, so they actually look in two different directions — something people can experience themselves through goggles that show two different videos, one per eye.”
The museum applied for both grants as part of 2024’s “innovation” funding cycle, allowing its educators to reach more communities and deepen public understanding of whales and whaling.
“Cold Spring Harbor was once a hub for the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Company,” Ainslie explained. “It’s important for people to understand what whales were used for, and how that has changed.”
In the mid-1800s, whale oil lit homes across America. Once electricity became widespread, the whaling industry faded, and whale populations — including those off Long Island — began to recover.
“People used every part of the whale, but now we can focus on protecting them,” Ainslie said. “We want to make sure they have safe environments to travel, give birth, and raise their calves.”
Today, Long Islanders can spot whales on local charters from Captree State Park and Montauk, or even occasionally from South Shore beaches.
The museum’s traveling inflatable program officially launches this winter, once its educational materials are finalized. Until Nov. 1, community members can donate $10 at CSHWhalingMuseum.org to submit name ideas for the whale.
Proceeds will go toward purchasing a vehicle large enough to transport the massive model.
Top: The Whaling Museum hosted a ribbon-cutting event last Sunday to introduce an inflatable whale, the biggest one in the state, to the public. Credit: The Whaling Museum and Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor/Facebook
