Der riesige Schädel des Pottwals wiegt über 1 t und musste in das Aquaurium gehoben werden, bevor das Dach des Gebäudes geschlossen wurde

From the Strela Sound to giant tanks

The schooling fish tank in the OZEANEUM does more than simply provide visitors with fascinating views of the dazzling sight of large schools of fish. A sperm whale skeleton attracts curious glances on the floor of the aquarium, in a sense representing a kind of graveyard scene at the bottom of the ocean. After all, the giants of the sea disappear forever into the dark depths after their deaths. This is what makes the mysterious demise of a sperm whale so interesting to museum visitors.

This unusual decoration was made possible by the tragic death of a group of sperm whales stranded on the North Sea coast in the winter of 1997/98. Four of these mighty animals were then brought to the German Oceanographic Museum. In order to be exhibited later, the scientists in Stralsund had to develop new, modern methods to prepare model whales in order to handle these extremely heavy skeletons.

The sperm whale skeleton in the schooling fish tank was initially treated by most of the other methods that were available at the time. The bones were left in a deep gravel pit on Rügen for around two years to free the skeleton from the heavy remains of its flesh. They were then submerged in Stralsund, where fish, crabs and microbes took over the more detailed work of cleaning up the skeletal parts. The bones finally made their way to a specially designed container for effective internal degreasing. This is where the chemical process known as maceration takes place. This process was able to be carried out in an environmentally friendly and controlled manner on the grounds of Stralsund’s REWA public utilities company. After being stored temporarily at the NAUTINEUM, the sperm whale was ultimately placed in the schooling fish tank where it now serves as a kind of example of pioneering whale research and imaginative presentation of these sea giants.