I wrote to the Monterey Bay Aquarium about their *truly stupid* bottle
comparison (6 bottles/day for a human baby, 2,000 bottles/day for a whale
baby), after my visit on August 1st this year, and this is the reply I received:

Dear Dr. Dettwyler,
        The graphic text accompanying the nursing comparison exhibit will be
changed in just a few days (the new text panels are currently in
production).  They will make it clear that whales and human infants do not
naturally nurse from bottles, and that is is a volume comparison, only.
        This is an exhibit on the subject of marine mammal adaptations.  It
is not appropriate that we use the exhibit as a forum for a discussion on
the pros and cons of natural lactation vs. formula feeding, and we will
continue to avoid the promotion of one alternative over the other.  That
would, however, be entirely appropriate in an exhibit on the subject of
human development, or nutrition, or immune system development, etc.  Perhaps
you would like to encourage the development of such an exhibit at a science
museum or children's museum that deals with these subjects in its particular
interpretive program.
        I appreciate your comments and your expertise in this field, and
have personally learned a good deal from the materials and perspectives you
have provided to me [Note: I sent him copies of my two chapters from
Breastfeeding: Biocultural Perspectives].  I have shared your letter and
your papers with our exhibit development staff for their reference.  We will
accession them to our library reprint collection so they will be available
for aquarium staff and volunteers.
        Thank you for your input.  The exhibit will improve as a result of
your time and interest.

Very truly yours,
Steven K. Webster, Ph.D.
Director of Education



This is me again: Thank goodness he didn't include that line about
environmental toxins making human milk unsafe for human babies!  Is this far
enough, or should I gently point out that the bottles themselves are
advocacy for bottle-feeding, regardless of what the exhibit signs say?  I'd
love to know what the new signs say.  Maybe the LactNetter from Monterey can
go and look and let us all know.  I still think the could talk about "marine
mammal adaptations" and have a display about how marine mammals nurse......  :(
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Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.                         email: [log in to unmask]
Anthropology Department                               phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University                                    fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX  77843-4352