Konserviertes Herz eines Finnwals im Vergleich zu einem menschlichen Herz

The giant heart of a sea giant

The human heart looks downright tiny compared to its giant counterpart. The colossal fin whale heart in the Hall of Giants gives visitors a lasting impression of the internal structures of the marine giants hovering above them. Many athletes begin daydreaming at the sheer sight of these giant tickers, wondering about their own options for record-breaking. But the marine mammal’s powerful organ holds enough records itself. This unusual showpiece is the largest taxidermically prepared animal heart in any European museum. This mighty muscle weighs in at 61 kilograms with an impressive circumference of 2 meters. Though this seems astounding, the size of the heart is entirely proportionate to the body of the fin whale. It needs to be tremendously powerful to be able to supply a 16.5-meter long body weighing around 20 metric tons with blood. A smaller heart would have no chance at all.

The way it works is also interesting. Normally, the bigger the mammal, the lower the heart rate, and a whale’s heart beats four to eight times per minute. By contrast, the small human heart beats 80 times or more.