Bones for July display

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Museum plans to get the 68ft Bryde's whale skeleton up for exhibition this June or July by the latest, its Director Datuk Joseph Guntavid, told Daily Express.

"And we will put it where it is most visible to visitors - the foyer," Guntavid said. The full skeleton will fit in just nicely into the 80ft long foyer where it will be mounted chest-high, he said.

The giant Bryde's whale stunned all in Sabah when it beached on a shallow reef at Gaya Bay opposite Kota Kinabalu on 15 December 2006 and returned to die at the same spot two days later, despite being successfully re-floated.

The Fisheries Department quickly towed the carcass out to the South China Sea on 17 December for disposal. However, Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman ordered it to be towed back after the public clamoured for its bones to be preserved as rarely has Sabah been visited by Earth's largest creature.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Sabah revenue hits RM6.97 billion: Hajiji says GRS State Government may see full term

Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Government continued its momentum in managing the economy in line with the commitment and spirit of the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) when it posted record high state revenue of RM6.973 billion last year.

Top Sabah Fisheries officials including its Director Rayner Stuel Galid his deputy Roonie Biusing and museum staff raced out to sea again to drag the carcass back and managed to extract the bones from the badly decomposed monster within a week by Christmas eve.

"It is a prime master piece which deserves a prime space in the Sabah Museum," Guntavid beamed. Once in place, it will be the biggest skeleton of a very rare whale anywhere in Malaysia.

"We feel very amazed by the features itself which I find very interesting.

The weight is fantastic. The lower jawbone (16' 4" long ) for instance is so heavy even six people can't lift it. The only way to shift the skull is to lift it with a chain pulley. Everything about it generates a feeling of awe," enthused Guntavid who is certain the massive exhibit would attract flocks of tourists.

Guntavid also said the museum was committed to conserve the "original" colours and textures of the bones and not artificially whiten it with chemicals, to ensure the outcome would be a true museum piece.

By the time the cleaning and preservation process are completed, the bones will be "yellowish white," he said.

"We prefer the original look since it is more authentic," assured Guntavid after some members of the public expressed fears that the viewing as well as the intrinsic value of the skeleton may degraded if it were excessively whitened and which would give it a "plastic" feeling.

But there remains plenty of nitty gritty work to prepare the bones up to display standards as not all the bones are out.

"At least 10ft of the tail, the mid vertebral section and some rib bones are still buried at the Sabah Fisheries Department's Aqua Culture Development Centre in Menggatal," noted Albert Lo, the museum's chief taxidermist.

They'll probably be dug out for cleaning after Chinese new year. Oily vertebral discs and stubborn tendons proved quite a task to clean up.

Reflecting on the whale saga, Guntavid said the Sabah Museum was immediately interested in securing the bones the moment he learnt the whale had died.

"It is actually part of museum's responsibility to get anything of public interest."

Rayner Stuel Galid, Director of Sabah Fisheries Department confirmed Guntavid called him early morning 17 December.

"Because it is of international interest, we wanted to exhibit it," he said.

Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.

Daily Express Malaysia

"But since the Bryde's whale is listed as a protected species under CITES ( Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species) and under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment, the regulations stipulate that we need a special licence (from the department) to secure custody of the bones," Guntavid explained of some of the formalities.

And because of the "good relationships" between the Sabah Museum and the Department of Wildlife, the formalities were done with little hassle.

Try 1 month for RM 18.00

Try 1 month for RM 18.00

Try 1 month for RM 18.00