the Editor says: This blue whale, which stranded and died off Taitung, is a stark testament to human selfishness… The deep depressions on either side of its skull are scars left by thick nylon rope that had been tightly wound around the whale while it was still alive. Through the combined efforts of the Ocean Conservation Administration, the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium (NMMBA), and other parties, a complete specimen is now on display at the NMMBA — a call for humanity to awaken to the importance of marine conservation. <Full article republished from the Environmental Information Center, reporter Li Yu-chin, reporting from Kaohsiung>**
In January 2020, a stranded and deceased blue whale was found on a beach in Changbin, Taitung. When discovered, the animal was severely emaciated, with thick nylon rope tightly wrapped around its head — a harrowing sight. Through a collaboration among the Ocean Affairs Council's Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA), the National Cheng Kung University Marine Biology and Cetacean Research Center, and the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, more than three years were spent preserving and assembling the skeletal specimen. On the 15th, the blue whale specimen was officially unveiled at the NMMBA, with the hope of continuing to tell the story of blue whales and marine conservation.
The NMMBA displays a complete blue whale skeletal specimen — the first stranded blue whale ever recorded in Taiwan. Photo by Li Yu-chin.
Taiwan's First Stranded Blue Whale Specimen on Display
Stepping into the main hall of the NMMBA's World of the Sea gallery, visitors are greeted by a whale skeletal specimen measuring over 20 metres, suspended in deep-blue projected light, mimicking the posture of a blue whale diving into the ocean. This specimen represents the first stranded blue whale ever recorded in Taiwan; there are only 25 complete blue whale specimens on display worldwide.
OCA Director-General Huang Hsiang-wen noted that when the blue whale carcass was first discovered, relevant research, conservation agencies, and volunteers were immediately mobilised to begin preserving the specimen. In 2021, the OCA, National Cheng Kung University, and the NMMBA signed a "Blue Whale Skeletal Specimen Cooperation Memorandum," joining forces to reconstruct, assemble, display, and archive the skeleton for academic research and educational outreach. Nearly four years later, the blue whale is now fully exhibited at the NMMBA in Pingtung — a symbol of its rebirth.
The NMMBA mounted the specimen using a triaxial keel method. For safety considerations, the suspended head of the specimen is a cast replica. The museum further explained that the original skull is displayed at ground level using an exploded-view mounting technique, with each individual bone mounted separately, allowing visitors to observe the internal structure up close while preserving the possibility of future scientific measurement and sampling research. This is the first time in the world that the detailed internal structure of a blue whale skull has been put on display, offering genuine value for future blue whale research.
The original blue whale head specimen is displayed at ground level alongside the rope that once bound it so tightly. Photo by Li Yu-chin.
Discarded Nylon Rope Displayed Alongside the Skeletal Specimen
Wang Hao-wen, Director of the National Cheng Kung University Marine Biology and Cetacean Research Center, explained that the blue whale is the largest animal on Earth, with the largest individuals exceeding 30 metres in length and weighing up to 180 metric tons. This 20-metre blue whale was a juvenile, its skeleton not yet fully ossified with considerable cartilaginous tissue remaining — a significant challenge in producing a complete specimen.
In the ground-level display, deep depressions of over 10 cm can be seen on either side of the upper jawbone — the spots where thick nylon rope had been tightly wound around the whale during its lifetime. Wang pointed out that the rope, which had cut deep into the bone, restricted the whale's ability to open and close its mouth, thereby impairing its ability to feed. Prolonged malnutrition stunted the development of this young individual; one can only imagine how much larger a healthy blue whale of the same age would have been.
Deep rope-gouge depressions are visible on either side of the upper jawbone of the blue whale skull. Photo by Li Yu-chin.
In addition to the skeletal specimen, the nylon rope that had entangled the whale — along with the gooseneck barnacles (Lepas spp.) attached to it — is also on display nearby. Huang Hsiang-wen noted that exhibiting the rope simultaneously serves as a reminder that fishing gear entanglement is a common cause of death for large whales and other marine life. "Although Taiwan is not within the blue whale's migratory range, there are no borders when it comes to protecting the ocean," she said, urging the public to voluntarily collect and dispose of discarded fishing nets and gear, reduce the use of single-use items, lessen the threat of marine debris to marine life, and contribute collectively to marine conservation.
Continuing to Tell the Ocean's Story Through the Blue Whale Specimen
The waters around the Hengchun Peninsula were once frequented by whales. During the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese government established a whaling port and whale processing facility at South Bay in Kenting. In 2022, a complete whale fossil dating back approximately 85,000 years was unearthed at Tougou in Hengchun. "Related records indicate that the Hengchun waters are a home for whales," said NMMBA Director Chen Chi-hsiang, adding that this is precisely why the museum was established here — to use whales as a gateway to draw visitors in and introduce them to the ocean. "It is the NMMBA's undeniable responsibility to welcome this blue whale, preserve it, and put it on display."
The OCA, National Cheng Kung University, and the NMMBA signed a Blue Whale Skeletal Specimen Cooperation Memorandum, making the preservation and exhibition of the specimen possible. Photo by Li Yu-chin.
Chen Chi-hsiang said that the successful preservation and display of the blue whale specimen is the result of teamwork. From the very beginning, this whale was speaking to us, its story told through the hands of every person who worked on it. Although it arrived at the NMMBA in this form, the skeletal specimen grants it a kind of rebirth — and through science education, exhibition, research, and outreach, its story of blue whales and marine conservation will continue to be told.
Editor in charge: Jenny Tsai
Further reading:
Full article republished with permission from the Environmental Information Center. Original title: NMMBA Displays Complete Blue Whale Specimen from Changbin — Rope Marks on Skeleton Prompt Conservation Reflection
