Soaking Up the Sperm Whale's Lower Jaw: A Bremerhaven Specialist's Task
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Meat Remnants Extraction in Lower Jaw by Expert - Expert Separates Meat from Jawbone
In just about a month and a half since a colossal sperm whale met its end and washed ashore on Sylt, a skilled prepper in Bremerhaven is working diligently on its lower jaw.
"It's immersed in a water tank, heated to 55 degrees, and will remain there for a spell until the meaty bits shed, revealing the pristine bone beneath," explained Matthias Strasser, the Managing Director of the Erlebniszentrum Naturgewalten Sylt, speaking to German News Agency. Once the bone is stripped clean, it will receive a defatting. Our prepper's a whale connoisseur, with years of experience dealing with these behemoths, particularly sperm whales.
Sylt's Spectacular Jaw Display Approaching
The remarkable jaw will have its grand debut in the Erlebniszentrum Naturgewalten Sylt, starting winter 2027/2028. Given the enormous size of the skeleton, exhibiting the entire sperm whale would be space-prohibitive, so Strasser decided to showcase only the jawbone.
The jaw will be displayed with a pygmy sperm whale skeleton that stranded in List back in 2014. "By close comparison of the sperm whale's jaw and the pygmy sperm whale's, one can clearly see the distinctions between toothed whales and baleen whales."
Protecting the Ivory Teeth
For security reasons, the valuable ivory teeth won't be showcased in their original position within the jaw. Instead, artificial teeth will replace the guarded originals to deter potential thievery. Visitors can compare these "teeth" with various marine mammal teeth and play a tooth-matching game to identify the whales.
The idea of preparing the lower jaw on the island seemed cumbersome, so our prepper opted to oversee the work in Bremerhaven instead.
Sylt's Jaw: The First to be Freed
A 14.3-meter long male sperm whale was dragged from the North Sea onto a Sylt beach near Hörnum on February 17th. Specialist workers from a dedicated firm arrived that same evening to start the dissection, ultimately separating the lower jaw from the giant creature using knives, chain saws, and an excavator shovel.
The dissection process took two days, and spectators marveled at the operation on the beach. The carved-up whale carcass pieces were delivered to Jagel (Schleswig-Flensburg district), south of the Danish border, in special containers for disposal.
Samples Under Examination in Büsum
Researchers from the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) took samples from the 10 to 15-ton sperm whale carcass and are currently examining them in nearby Büsum. The ITAW team seeks to determine the possible cause of death and the origin. Collaborators from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover are also part of the research team.
"We've gathered numerous samples that now require analysis time before we can draw final conclusions," Joseph Schnitzler, ITAW scientific employee, told German News Agency. He anticipates publishing results no earlier than the end of April.
- Sylt
- Lower jaw
- Sperm whale
- Bremerhaven
- German News Agency
- Whales
- In Bremerhaven, a skilled prepper is meticulously working on the lower jaw of a sperm whale that recently washed ashore on Sylt, which will be displayed at the Erlebniszentrum Naturgewalten Sylt starting winter 2027/2028.
- The remarkable lower jaw of the sperm whale that stranded on Sylt will be showcased alongside a pygmy sperm whale skeleton that beached in List in 2014, allowing visitors to observe the differences between toothed and baleen whales.
- Due to the enormous size of the sperm whale skeleton, only the jawbone will be exhibited, and for security reasons, the valuable ivory teeth won't be displayed in their original position within the jaw to deter potential theft.
