Specimen of 50-tonne whale is hauled onto a huge truck
Incredible images show a specimen sperm whale arriving in Yangkou Port in east China's Jiangsu province on February 14.
The whale died after becoming stranded on a beach in Rudong County in February 2016, reports Huanqiu, an affiliation of the People's Daily Online.
Images show the specimen being transferred from Xiamen University to a specially made museum in Yangkou.
Whopper! A specimen of a sperm whale was in transit at the Yangkou Port in Rudong County on February 14, 2017
Giant animal: The whale died in Yangkou County, Jiangsu province in February 2016 when it became stranded at the port
First of the pair: The whale is the first of the two that died to be fully treated and sent back to Yangkou Port
Almost a year ago exactly, two whales were spotted stranded in Yangkou Port.
The whales weighing around 50 tonnes and measuring 50-feet-long later died.
Xiamen University’s Institure of Amphibious Biology worked together with Dalian Life Mystery Museum staff to preserve the animal.
Work on the animals started in April last year.
In over eight months, technicians used a stripping technology to produce a set of sperm whale specimens. One was a skin specimen and the other is a bone specimen.
THE LARGEST ANIMAL: SPERM WHALE Sperm whales have the largest brain of any creature known to man Sperm whales have the largest brain of any creature known to have lived on Earth. The toothed whales eat thousands of pounds of fish and squid per day. Sperm whales are often spotted in groups (referred to as pods) of some 15 to 20 animals. These include females and their young. Driven by their tale fluke, approximately 16 feet (5 metres) from tip to top, they can cruise the oceans at around 23 miles (37 kilometres) per hour. Source: National Geographic
Working together to transport the specimen: The whale weighs some 50 tonnes and measures some 50-feet-long
Giant specimen: The process of restoring the specimen for display at a specially made museum took some eight months
On display: A museum has been set up to house the two whales and will also display their bones, skin and teeth
The new museum will also house the other stranded whale however it is not expected to be ready for another four years
Images show one of the whales being transported back to Yangkou Port. The other remains in Dalian while they continue to process it.
The animals' teeth will also be on display at the 4,300-square-foot museum. The 46 teeth and one eye were transported separately and will be added at the museum.
According to Yuan Hongmei, researcher at the Xiamen Institute, the skin specimens weigh 1.5 tonnes.
They said that the other whale needs more time to be preserved and will have to go through dehydration and other treatment which could last up to four years.
The huge specimen whale was covered with plastic film and placed on a heavy truck.
With the help of technicians, staff members lifted the whale with a crane and placed it in the sperm whale museum as part of an exhibition.
The sperm whale is a national second-class protected animal which can be found in China's coastal areas.
New exhibition: With the help of technicians, staff members lifted the whale with a crane and placed it into the museum
The sperm whale is a national second-class protected animal which can be found in China's coastal areas