Fort Bragg Wins Blue Whale Skeleton
Friday, February 12th, 2010Program to Tell The Blue Whale Story Set During Fort Bragg Whale Festival March 20 at C.V. Starr Center
Photographer Larry Wagner captured this rare photo of a blue whale just south of the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg.
A couple of months ago, a giant blue whale washed up on Fort Bragg’s shore, the victim of an accidental ship strike. Thanks to the work of a team of people from Humboldt State College and locals, the whale carcass was removed and buried to allow the earth to reclaim the flesh and leave behind a clean skeleton. Where the whale was buried is a closely held secret, but it it’s someplace in Fort Bragg, my sources tell me.
Local wildlife biologist Ron LeValley said recently that there are only 10 complete skeletons preserved and on display in the entire world. So, it was good news this past week when the City of Fort Bragg got word that it will get to keep the skeleton for some future exhibit. Assembling and mounting could cost upwards of $1 million, he said. Here’s the complete story from a city press release: (more…)
