Several cities around the world, from New York to Vladivostok, offer life-size whale sculptures hanging from the ceiling.
The size of whales is difficult to conceive, even when seen live, at sea, from a boat. For example, the Antarctic blue whale is not just the biggest whale, it is the biggest animal in the entire world, bigger than most of the dinosaurs we know of. They are known to weigh up to 165 tons, which is more than the weight of the Statue of Liberty. Its tongue weighs the same as an elephant and its heart is the size of a small car.
Science museums around the world pay tribute to these magnificent animals, many of which are now in danger of disappearing after decades of uncontrolled hunting. One of the best ways is to place a sculpture of one of these giants in front of visitors, or better yet, make them float in the air above their heads, as if they were passing through the middle of the ocean. These are some of the most impressive whale samples in the world:
The Blue Whale at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA
This sample is, together with the dinosaur skeletons, the most photographed and remembered in this immense museum. It is a life-size sculpture of a blue whale made of fiberglass and foam that weighs nine tons. It appears to float above visitors’ heads as it is suspended from the ceiling by a steel tube that is hidden from view.
Photograph: scarlet sapho
Natural History Museum, London, UK
This spectacular museum, built in 1880, is a true cathedral dedicated to the natural sciences. In the immense Hintze room, from 1905 to 2017 reigned Dippy, a diplodocus skeleton that was one of the main attractions of the museum. That year Dippy dismounted and went on a tour of Britain’s top museums. In its place, Hope was installed, named after a 25-meter-long blue whale skeleton that, unlike its predecessor, hangs from the ceiling. The replacement was for a documentary narrated by David Attemborough and titled “Dippy and the Whale”
Iziko Museum of South Africa in Cape Town, South Africa
The Iziko Museum of South Africa is a South African national museum located in Cape Town. The museum was founded in 1825 and was the first in the country. Iziko is a Xhosa word meaning “house”. The museum houses important collections of African zoology, paleontology and archeology. In its room dedicated to whales, you can see the sculpture of a sperm whale and a blue whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling, among others.
Primorskiy Aquarium in Vladivostok, Russia
Primorsky Aquarium is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan on Russky Island. It is one of the three largest aquariums in the world and was built by the Russian Federation and officially opened in 2016 by Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of Japan Shindzo Abe and President of the Republic of Korea Park Geun-hye. Sculptures of two gray whales, mother and calf, and an orca, which has been known to attack them, hang from this museum’s impressive entrance.
Photograph: Artyom Svetlov
Icelandic Whale Museum, Reykjavik, Iceland
Iceland Whales is a natural history museum located in the port district of Grandi in Reykjavík. Opened in 2015, the museum is dedicated to educating visitors about the various species of cetaceans that have been sighted in Icelandic waters throughout history. Nothing better than displaying them with impressive sculptures of different whales that float in the air before the eyes of visitors while they can have a snack in the cafeteria.
Science of Quo Travel Section sponsored by hyundai