To celebrate the end of the 3rd International Symposium on Paleohistology, the Bonn host committee invites you on board “Moby Dick” for a dinner cruise along the Rhine River.
The cruise will depart from Am Alten Zoll near the main building of the University of Bonn at 7PM (dock 4). From there, the ship will head south, where you can enjoy the beautiful landscape along the Rhine including several castles. We will return to Bonn around 11 PM.
A generous buffet will be provided along with a complimentary Sekt (sparkling wine).
Please note, guests must pay for beverages themselves and are requested to pay with cash.
The “Moby Dick” ship is easily spotted on the Rhine with its iconic facade, painted to appear like a whale. The building and design of the ship, in fact, was inspired by a very unusual event that happened on the Rhine during the mid 1960’s.
In the spring of 1966, several mariners reported spotting a beluga whale on the Rhine near Duisburg. Such a bizarre occurrence – a whale 300 km inland from the sea – was met with initial skepticism, and the mariners were even required to have their blood alcohol levels tested. They were found sober, and in the coming days more eye witness reports came in; indeed, a beluga whale, which was given the nickname “Moby Dick”, had made a wrong turn and found it’s way up the Rhine River. The whale spent nearly a month in the Rhine and reached as far south as Bonn before finally heading back to the ocean.
Reference: Wikipedia contributors. “Moby Dick (Rhine).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 14 Apr. 2015. Web. 5 Jun. 2015