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We're partnering with the Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans to preserve skeletons of the endangered blue whale
The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Janet Carding, Director and CEO of the ROM, recently announced their partnership to facilitate the recovery of two North Atlantic blue whale skeletons.
Why are blue whales important?
Blue whales are one of the largest animals to have ever lived on earth. They are an endangered species in Canada, with fewer than 250 mature adults in the Northwest Atlantic population. The chance to preserve, study and examine two skeletons is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with great scientific and educational value for Canadians.
Where did these skeletons come from?
In April 2014, at least nine blue whales were caught in the ice off the southwest coast of Newfoundland and died, and the remains of two more whales washed ashore on the northwest coast.
It's unprecedented to have this number of the species perish at once in a single area. The deaths are likely a result of the record-breaking severe ice conditions this winter in the North Atlantic, combined with the unique topography of Newfoundland's southwest coast.
What is the ROM doing?
A team of about 10 people from the ROM and one of our exhibit partners, Research Casting International, will travel to Newfoundland. They will flense the whales to remove the skin, blubber and muscle, partially disarticulate the remaining skeleton, and return the partially cleaned skeleton to Ontario for further processing and degreasing.
Frozen tissue samples will be preserved for subsequent genetic and environmental analysis. The skeletons will be accessible to the global research community.
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