Blue Whale Collection & Mounting

ROM Toronto, ON and Memorial University, St. John’s, NL | 2014-2019

In spring 2014, we were contracted by the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and Memorial University to collect two blue whales skeletons from the shores of Trout River and Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland. The endangered whales had died and washed ashore after becoming trapped in sea ice. Although detrimental to the conservation of the Western Atlantic population, samples of the whales’ tissue and collection of their skeletons provides an important opportunity to gain knowledge on a species not well known to scientists. We sent out a crew to join researchers from the ROM and volunteers to help remove the flesh from the bones of the whale carcasses – a process known as flensing. Although a messy (and smelly) job, the bones were eventually recovered and transported back to our headquarters. The bones have since been placed in shipping containers and covered in cow manure to break down the remaining flesh and to prepare for exhibit. ROM researchers are also preserving the 180 kg heart of the blue whale for scientific study and museum display. The ROM blue whale skeleton mount was unveiled in March 217 as the centre piece of “Out of the Depths: The Blue Whale Story”. The Memorial University blue whale skeleton is anticipated to be installed in 2019.