Building the Perfect Beast - Challenges Associated with Displaying Whales

Explore the challenges and intricacies of displaying whale skeletons in this 48-minute Speaker Series talk by Frank Hadfield from Palcoprep. Delve into the anatomy and feeding apparatus of different whale groups, and follow the journey from bone discovery to finished exhibit. Learn about the meticulous cleaning processes, including the use of whale oil and hydrogen peroxide, and the techniques for carving foam to replace missing pieces. Discover the complexities of mounting giant skeletons, creating support structures, and transporting these massive specimens. Gain insights into the creation of various whale displays, including humpback, sperm, blue, fin, pilot, and grey whales, while experiencing the adventure of collecting and preparing these magnificent marine mammals for museum exhibition.

Introduction
What are whales
Two groups of whales
Feeding apparatus
Anatomy
Flippers
Function of Skeletons
Bone
Sparky
Canada Great Drive
North Sydney Nova Scotia
Newfoundland
Finding the bones
Whale bone soup
Cleaning methods
Iceland
Whale Oil
Cleaning Process
Hydrogen Peroxide
Dorsal Vertebrae
Humpback Whale
Vesta
Missing Pieces
Carving Foam
Hydrocal
Finished Product
Den Trees
Giant Anteater
Free Sculpting
Whale Teeth
Casting
Flying
Axial
Sperm Whale
Skull Mount
Armature
Support structures
Delivery
Humpback Pavilion
Sperm Whale Pavilion
Return trip from Newfoundland
Cape Ray
Blue Whale
Fin Whale
Pilot whales
Grey whales
Grey whale skull
Thank you