Kowhai Ngutu Kura (Whale) Kowhaiwhai Pattern Single Sided Wooden Puzzle & Large Block - Combo Deal
The Puzzle shows the pattern and where this pattern comes from in Nature. On the back of the tray is printed information explaining the meaning of this pattern.
Whales belong to the order “Cetacea”, which includes Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises. Whales are divided into two suborders: “Baleen” and “Toothed” Whales. Baleen Whales have a comb-like fringe, called a baleen, on the upper jaw, which is used to filter plankton, as well as small fish and crustaceans. Baleen Whales mouths are very large. Toothed Whales eat larger fish or meat. They have sharp teeth and usually have a big forehead. The Blue Whale, at 30 metres (98 ft) in length and 180 metric tons (200 short tons) or more in weight, it is the largest known animal to have ever existed. The smallest known Whale in the world is the Dwarf Sperm Whale. When fully grown this Whale measures around 9 feet long and can weigh between 400 – 600 pounds.
For many Maori Iwi, the Whale is considered a ‘Chiefly Fish’, a descendant of Tangaroa “God of the Oceans”, a symbol of bounty and a special taonga (treasure). One legend highlighted in the acclaimed New Zealand film ‘Whale Rider’ tells of a tribal ancestor “Paikea” travelling to Aotearoa on the back of a mighty whale.
Whalers and Sealers were among the first Europeans to arrive in New Zealand, with the first shore-based whaling stations established in the late 1820s. At its peak in 1839, 200 whaling ships were working our coastal waters. Whaling quickly declined as numbers
of Whales dropped – some, like the Right Whale, almost became extinct in the Southern Hemisphere.
Block size 9.5cm x 25cm - Tactile, feel the pattern.