Penang Aquarium Bryde's Whale Exhibit

Bryde's Whale, Penang Aquarium (12 December 2015)


One of the highlights of our visit to the Penang Aquarium is the full-length skeleton of the Bryde's Whale (Balaenoptera edeni) A critically endangered whale species, it is endemic to the tropical and subtropical oceans including the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean. The Bryde's whale that washed ashore in Kedah measures 40 feet in length and is 6 feet wide. The carcass of the Bryde whale washed ashore at Pantai Pulau Sayak in Kedah, on 9 Feburary, 2011. It was discovered by a child. At that time, the carcass was already rotting. Marine specialists from the Fish Research Institute conducted an autopsy on the whale two days later, to ascertain the cause of death. Vital organs from the whale were examined and tissue samples were taken for analysis. With assistance from the staff of the Kedah Fisheries Department, the flesh and meat of the whale were removed and disposed, and the carcass was taken to the Fish Research Institute in Rantau Abang. There, the skeleton underwent a process to preserve the bones. The bones were first cooked and then dried. By March of the same year, the skeleton was ready to be exhibited.

The Bryde's Whale skeleton (12 December 2015)


My wife and I with the Bryde's whale skeleton (12 December 2015)

Penang Aquarium