Blue Whale that washed up will end up in Royal Ontario Museum
Thursday, May 15, 2014
![Don Bradshaw via The Canadian Press]()
Blue whales are the largest animal to ever exist on Earth: they are also highly endangered. Sadly, a pod of blue whales was crushed in pack ice this winter. The bodies are washing up on the coast of Newfoundland, near the amazing heritage site Gros Morne National Park.
A team from ROM (the Royal Ontario Museum) has been dismantling the whale carcass for two weeks, and if funding comes through its skeleton may end up in the ROM so people everywhere can see this incredible creature.
CBC news reports that "Bones from the 23-metre female will be trucked to Trenton, Ont., where Research Casting International, which specializes in museum displays, will help further handle the remains." A second whale has also washed up and the ROM and the local people in Rocky Harbour, NL are deciding if they can handle preserving both. "Rocky Harbour Mayor Walter Nicolle had expressed relief when the museum offered to add the whales to its collection and make scientific data available to global researchers. Local officials had raised concerns about health hazards and the impact on crucial tourism if the carcasses were left to rot."
The KDOONS team leadership has worked with the ROM in the past on exhibits online, and we congratulate the ROM on preserving what we can of this amazing creature!
Royal Ontario Museum:
www.rom.on.ca
images: Don Bradshaw via The Canadian Press http://ls4.co/AGt
Preparing to move Newfoundland's blue whales
Don Bradshaw via The Canadian Press
From tragedy to science: the dead blue whale that washed up in Newfoundland and Labrador will end up in Royal Ontario Museum.
Blue whales are the largest animal to ever exist on Earth: they are also highly endangered. Sadly, a pod of blue whales was crushed in pack ice this winter. The bodies are washing up on the coast of Newfoundland, near the amazing heritage site Gros Morne National Park.
A team from ROM (the Royal Ontario Museum) has been dismantling the whale carcass for two weeks, and if funding comes through its skeleton may end up in the ROM so people everywhere can see this incredible creature.
CBC news reports that "Bones from the 23-metre female will be trucked to Trenton, Ont., where Research Casting International, which specializes in museum displays, will help further handle the remains." A second whale has also washed up and the ROM and the local people in Rocky Harbour, NL are deciding if they can handle preserving both. "Rocky Harbour Mayor Walter Nicolle had expressed relief when the museum offered to add the whales to its collection and make scientific data available to global researchers. Local officials had raised concerns about health hazards and the impact on crucial tourism if the carcasses were left to rot."
The KDOONS team leadership has worked with the ROM in the past on exhibits online, and we congratulate the ROM on preserving what we can of this amazing creature!
Royal Ontario Museum:
www.rom.on.ca
images: Don Bradshaw via The Canadian Press http://ls4.co/AGt