More than a decade after the body of a 70-foot blue whale washed up on the southern Oregon Coast, its skeleton will be installed in a permanent educational display at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport.
Viewers can watch the display come to life via two web cameras, starting with installation of a steel support system for the massive, 5,500-pound skeleton, which is expected to begin later this week, weather and construction conditions permitting. To tune in, visit beav.es/bones.
This blue whale skeleton will be one of only a handful of such skeletons available for public viewing in North America, and the only one between Vancouver, British Columbia, and the San Francisco Bay area. Blue whales - the largest animals ever to live - are endangered. Because they live primarily in the deep ocean, they are rarely visible to the public and tend to sink when they die.
When the whale's body was discovered near Gold Beach, Oregon, in 2015, leaders of OSU's Marine Mammal Institute recognized a rare opportunity to turn an unfortunate loss into a resource for learning and discovery. Over the last 10 years, they have worked to bring the project to fruition with the help of donors and a Canadian company hired to lead the preservation and display effort.
"Researchers at the Marine Mammal Institute are working every day to advance knowledge of these extraordinary animals, the environments they live in and the threats they face," said Lisa T. Ballance, the institute's director. "This whale skeleton represents another remarkable educational opportunity for our students and researchers as well as visitors to the Oregon Coast."
A five-person team from Alberta, Canada-based Dinosaur Valley Studios has spent the last three years cleaning, restoring and preserving the whale's bones - the largest are the 18-foot lower jaw bones - and creating a steel frame system to display them. The whale will be posed in natural motion.
"We wanted to convey a living animal in a dynamic environment, rather than a static display," said Frank Hadfield, director of Dinosaur Valley Studios. "We hope visitors are inspired by the wonder of the natural world through this piece."
The team removed an estimated 150 to 200 pounds of whale oil from the bones. They also had to repair and, in some cases, recreate portions of the skeleton that were damaged, either by injury to the whale while it was alive or by strong surf after its death.
"The biggest challenge of this project has been the sheer size of the bones, but the reward is seeing the largest creature that ever lived come together as a skeleton," Hadfield said.
A necropsy conducted after the whale washed ashore in 2015 noted the whale appeared underweight and had not been eating well prior to death; showed blunt force injuries consistent with a possible ship strike; and found the presence of domoic acid, a naturally occurring biotoxin caused by harmful algal blooms, exposure to which can debilitate whales.
The whale's carcass was dismantled and the remains were bundled in huge nets and submerged in Yaquina Bay, where seawater and marine invertebrates cleaned the bones. The skeleton was in the water for more than three years before being removed in November 2019.
The original plan to clean and restore the skeleton was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project resumed in 2023, when Dinosaur Valley Studios, which specializes in skeletal reconstruction of very large animals, assumed the lead on the preservation and display effort.
Clackamas, Oregon-based VALAR Consulting Engineering is overseeing design and permitting for the display, and VALAR Construction is facilitating the construction and project management for the installation. The display is expected to be completed by early summer. A public celebration, including installation of permanent signage, is expected to occur in late summer or early fall.
Visitors to the Hatfield Marine Science Center and its visitor center, a public educational center that features exhibits and hands-on activities focused on ocean life, marine research and innovation, will find the blue whale skeleton in the courtyard of the Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building once the project is complete.
The effort has received enthusiastic support from the public since the idea was first introduced, said Ballance, who is also interim associate vice president for marine research operations and executive director of Hatfield Marine Science Center. Fundraising is underway to complete the display and provide ongoing support to maintain it. To support the project, visit beav.es/bones.
