SKELETON SERVICE
Century- old skeleton of 40ft marine mammal to undergo specialist cleaning while museum is upgraded
Conservator Nigel Larkin begins to dismantle a 40ft juvenile North Atlantic whale skeleton at Hull Maritime Museum. The fragile skeleton and seven others were the first objects to be moved yesterday to make way for a £ 12m upgrade of the venue.
ITS SHORT and ultimately tragic life ended when it was caught with its mother off New York more than 100 years ago.
The bones of the juvenile Northern Atlantic right whale – all 40ft of it – ended up on the other side of the Atlantic in a museum in Hull, where it remains its largest exhibit.
The fragile skeleton and seven others, including a killer whale and a narwhal, were the first objects to be moved yesterday to make way for a £ 12m upgrade of the Maritime Museum. In total, 50,000 objects will be placed into storage.
Conservator Nigel Larkin has the job of cleaning and remounting the whale – which was given its name by hunters as the “right” one to catch.
Right whales, which have huge heads, contained not only plentiful oil and baleen, but after being killed would conveniently float on the surface.
Populations were decimated during the heyday of whaling and now there are thought to be only 400 left in the world.
Not surprisingly over the years the bones of the eight specimens have gathered a lot of dust and they will be cleaned using soft brushes and vacuums and, depending on how dirty they are, with specialist cleaning products.
Whales, says Mr Larkin, who will work on the bones at his Shropshire conservation studio, conjure up “huge emotions”.
Most species were hunted close to extinction and it was
“only because people cared about them” and protested in the 1970s that the majority of countries stopped whaling.
Conservation and engagement officer Stathis Tsolis said:
“The whale is well remembered and cherished by many people visiting the museum over the last four decades and it is about to receive some much- needed care and conservation.
“North Atlantic right whales are currently endangered, with only an estimated 400 left. These days the threat is largely from ship collisions and entanglement in fishing gear.
“The rarity of this animal adds to the global significance of our specimen, which will hopefully change as time goes by. May the day come when skeletons of right whales are not so rare and important.” One of the reasons why right whales are so threatened is because they are being killed faster than they can reproduce.
The juvenile was killed alongside its mother by a 78- yearold retired whaling captain in 1907. The mother’s skeleton is stored at the American Museum of Natural History.
The museum’s revamp is part of a £ 30m tourism project aimed at attracting 300,000 visitors a year, which will see the country’s last sidewinder trawler, the Arctic Corsair, move to a new berth at historic dry docks on the River Hull, alongside a state- oftheart interpretation centre.
When the museum reopens in 2023 there will be 50 per cent more space and the public will be able to access + one of its domes for the first time to enjoy stunning rooftop views.
The whale is cherished by many people visiting the museum. Conservation and Engagement Officer, Stathis Tsolis.