Crystal Crescent Beach Blue Whale Skeleton Collection – Nova Scotia

In early September 2021, a deceased blue whale was spotted floating by Crystal Crescent Beach, south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Canadian Coast Guard, Marine Animal Rescue Society (MARS), and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans were notified of its presence along the beach. The next day, the 82-foot-long carcass had washed ashore. MARS Responders assessed the whale and collected valuable samples for research while exploring removal options for the whale.

Our Skeleton Crew travelled to Nova Scotia to collect the blue whale’s skeleton. They worked to remove the skeleton and prepare the carcass for removal with MARS, DFO, and Kiersten Runté a Dalhousie University Student from the Faculty of Marine Biology.

Honouring and respecting the fact that the blue whale washed up onto Crystal Crescent Beach, which is on lands in Nova Scotia, unceded territory of Mi’kma’ki, the crew was fortunate enough to have a member of the local Mi’kmaq community come out to perform a smudging ceremony for the whale before it was prepared for removal.

“Before we started on Wednesday, a family from the Mi’kmaq community (a woman, her husband and 8-year-old daughter) came and did a really beautiful ceremony to send off the whale and lay her spirit to rest. They did a whole smudging ceremony that everyone took part in and then smudged the whale and left a tobacco tie as a gift to the whale that was tied to its tail end. It was really beautiful, and then right as they ended, two massive eagles flew over the whole length of the whale and then just watched over it for a while before taking off together. It was breathtaking.” – Kiersten Runté, Dalhousie University Faculty of Marine Biology

This blue whale’s carcass provided excellent samples to MARS and DFO for insight and research. The skeleton was transported back to RCI for preparation for future mounting. Its skeleton will potentially serve a display in a museum for education on the importance of conservation of oceans, wildlife, and endangered species such as the magnificent blue whale, as well as climate change and the impact it has on different endangered species.

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