4-Meter Long Sperm Whale Skull Stolen From Museum in Australia

A whale skull was stolen from a museum in Australia. The staff believes the culprits are more than one person before the skull is very big.

Museum Robbed of Massive Whale Skull

Eden Killer Whale Museum housed a massive whale sperm skull. In a post on Facebook, the museum announced that it was distressed after discovering that the sperm whale skull was missing. It was removed from the Neil "Biggs" Rankin' block on the Eden Lookout.

The museum's collection manager Angela George told Daily Mail that the skull was four meters long and two meters wide. They just discovered that it was missing Monday.

She added that the skull was massive and it would require special machinery, including a crane and a flatbed truck, to move it. Also, the thieves would have used bolt cutters to break open the heavy-duty padlock and chain that kept the skull in place.

George stressed that the only use of the giant sperm whale skull was for research, so she didn't understand why the thieves came after it.

Since the block is located on the corner of Imlay and By Streets just above the wharf area on the Eden Lookout, the staff believed it was unlikely removed secretly. So they hoped that someone saw the incident and would come forward and help them identify the culprits to get back the skull.

The museum acquired the sperm whale skull in 1998 after commercial fishermen trawled it from the ocean in the area. It had been stored away while the museum underwent building works onsite because the bones had been leaking oil.

The museum, which volunteers run, was already preparing it for display when it vanished.

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Museum Is After the Culprits

The museum noted that it is illegal in New South Whales to possess any part of a whale without the appropriate licenses, and those found guilty of the offense will be facing fines over $80,000.

Anyone with information about the missing skull is encouraged to contact the Eden Police or Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000, or the museum at 6496 2094 or email curator@killerwhalemuseum.com.au.

What Are Sperm Whales?

According to NOAA Fisheries, sperm whales are the largest-toothed whales among those with the widest global distributions of any marine mammal species.

Female sperm whales can reach up to 40 feet long and weigh up to 15 tons, while male sperm whales can grow up to 52 feet and weigh 45 tons. They can live up to 60 years.

They hunt for food in depths of 2,000 feet and can last 45 minutes. They can also dive to depths of over 10,000 feet for over 60 minutes. However, they must return to the surface to breathe and recover before initiating their next dive.

The sperm whale is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.