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The Whale Vertebrae

In a little square on Midtergade in Hals, a very peculiar monument stood. The vertebrae of a blue whale towered over the little seaside town until they were moved to Aalborg Natural History Museum.

 

A. P. Møllers Rederi is the name of the shipping company that helped procure the vertebrae and jaws for Hals. The gigantic bones were buried by an ant hill to safely and naturally remove the meat from the bones before decorating the town with them.

The idea with the vertebrae was to have them as road signs for locals and visitors alike. The public’s reactions were varied, ranging from amusement to bafflement. However, everyone soon got used to the strange sight, which made it all the more sad when they had to be moved to an indoors facility in Aalborg to keep them from eroding.

Read more about the Whale Jaws in Hals...