Blue Whale bones

Sheila Semans, Blue Whale skeleton reconstruction project specialist for the California Coastal Conservancy, places a piece of the knuckle of the right dorsal fin. ©Teresa Shumaker. 

Ribs and spine. ©Teresa Shumaker.

Through the vertebrae. ©Teresa Shumaker.

Early last summer, I was given the wonderful opportunity to document the 73-foot blue whale skeleton as it was unearthed from its grave.
Four years prior, the young adult female washed onto the shore after suffering life threatening injuries from surfacing beneath a large ship's propeller.

Vertebrae. ©Teresa Shumaker.

 The unfortunate incident did lead to some positive science, however. Parts of the whale were removed for research, and the skeleton was removed and buried in an undisclosed location for natural cleaning. The intent is for the bones to be reassembled and put on display in the future marine science and education center in Fort Bragg, CA.

Until then, volunteers reassemble the bones so student groups can see them up close.

It is mighty humbling being so close to the bones of the largest mammal to grace our planet. It is second only to being able to see them in the wild, which I was fortunate to see this last September.

Their spouts (what happens when a whale exhales) are monstrous compared to other whales and dolphins.  From the moment when the spout first emerges to when you see part of the fluke, time seems to lag as what seems like miles of back roll, slightly emerged at the surface of the water.

The sound of their exhalation has a harmonic echo to it, telling of the enormous size of each lung. It reminded me of the sounds the brachiasauruses (brachiasauri?) make in the movie Jurassic Park. Truly majestic animals.

I would like to give special thanks to Sheila Semans who invited me out to see the assembled bones one last time before I move. Thank you.

Each bone is labeled for reassembly. ©Teresa Shumaker.

©Teresa Shumaker.

Through the spinal cord cavity. ©Teresa Shumaker.

Right dorsal fin. ©Teresa Shumaker.

©Teresa Shumaker.

©Teresa Shumaker.

©Teresa Shumaker.