photo set
page of 2- 16
- 32
- 64
- 96
-
-
-
- .
World 1st:Huge Perfectly-Preserved Sperm Whale Displayed
05-06-2020
2020
Wacky world
This is the first sperm whale and the world's largest species to go on display perfectly preserved in life-like conditions thanks to a technique called plastination that replaces the animal's fluids with plastics. Plastination - invented by German anatomist Gunther von Hagens, 75, in 1977 - is a way of creating specimens which do not smell or decay by replacing water and fat with certain plastics. The 40-tonne sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), an adult male measuring 48 feet, has been exhibited at the Golden Pebble Beach Cultural Expo in the coastal city of Dalian, in north-eastern China’s Liaoning Province, since 30th May. It is reportedly the largest plastinated specimen in the world to date. It was one of two dead sperm whales found beached in the county of Rudong, in East China’s Jiangsu Province, on 14th and 15th February 2016. Given the name ‘Yang Yang’, it is the first plastinated sperm whale in the world and largest specimen to be preserved using the technique, which allows both external and internal anatomies to be observed in detail and even touched. A team of more than 50 plastination engineers with leading Chinese firm Dalian Hoffen Bio-technique was given the task of converting the dead whale into a science exhibit. They were guided by Dalian Medical University professor of anatomy Sui Hongjin, who said the pioneering project was “not only a Chinese creation, but also a Chinese innovation”. Images from the exhibit show Yang Yang’s giant external and internal structures on full display, while incredible behind-the-scenes footage shows the early days of the project from specimen collection to dissection Lead plastination engineer Liu Hu, whose team was sent to Rudong County to retrieve the dead sperm whale, said the first task was to prevent Yang Yang from exploding. He said: “We’ve all heard of exploding whales. “When marine animals die, their internal organs begin to decompose. In about three to four days, gas begins to build up.” Before the 14.88-metre (48-foot), 40-tonne whale was transported to Dalian, Mr Liu’s team spent a full day locating and releasing gasses such as methane from the carcass, preventing it from bursting and damaging the specimen. It was then driven 600 over miles to their workshop. Mr Liu said: “That was the first challenge, but the second challenge was the smell. “It smelt awful. I’d never smelt anything so foul in my life.” According to reports, plastinating workers spent three years preserving the sperm whales bones and internal organs, which had been removed in a large dissection project over a number of days. Professor Sui said it was during this process that a 8.2-metre (26-foot) long fishing net was found in one of the whale’s four stomach chambers. The net may have contributed to the animal’s death. Yang Yang’s plastinated carcass now serves as a significant educational tool for the teaching of anatomy, but also the study of biological organisms and how they interact with the environment, he added. Mr Liu, whose team were forced to improvise and innovate because no similar attempts of the same scale could be used as reference, said: “The benefits of plastinated specimens is that they are completely dry and can be touched. “They’re non-toxic and odourless. They’ll last for hundreds of years; they will never decay and can be used for educational purposes. “The project has four major steps: fixation and dissection; water and fat tissue removal; liquid polymer bathing; and finally shaping and restoration.” The exhibit, named ‘Legend of the Great Whale’, will run through 15th June. (T4 / ends)
id16302719919750
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-01.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire / Wang Xiaodi
captionPic shows: Plastinated sperm whale Yang Yang on exhibit. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919751
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-02.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire / Jiangshi
captionPic shows: Plastinated sperm whale Yang Yang on exhibit. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919752
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-03.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire / Jiangshi
captionPic shows: Plastinated sperm whale Yang Yang on exhibit. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919753
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-04.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire / Jiangshi
captionPic shows: Plastinated sperm whale Yang Yang on exhibit. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919754
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-05.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire / Jiangshi
captionPic shows: Plastinated sperm whale Yang Yang on exhibit. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919755
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-06.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire / Jiangshi
captionPic shows: Plastinated sperm whale Yang Yang on exhibit. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919756
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-07.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire
captionPic shows: The carcass of dead sperm whale Yang Yang being plastinated. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919757
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-08.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire
captionPic shows: The carcass of dead sperm whale Yang Yang being plastinated. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919758
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-09.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire
captionPic shows: The carcass of dead sperm whale Yang Yang being plastinated. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919759
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-10.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire
captionPic shows: The carcass of dead sperm whale Yang Yang being plastinated. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919760
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-11.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire
captionPic shows: The carcass of dead sperm whale Yang Yang being plastinated. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919761
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-12.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire
captionPic shows: Dead sperm whale 'Yang Yang' found on a beach in Rudong County, Jiangsu, China, on 14 February 2016. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919762
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-13.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire
captionPic shows: Dead sperm whale 'Yang Yang' found on a beach in Rudong County, Jiangsu, China, on 14 February 2016. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919763
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-14.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire
captionPic shows: Dead sperm whale 'Yang Yang' found on a beach in Rudong County, Jiangsu, China, on 14 February 2016. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919764
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-15.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire
captionPic shows: Dead sperm whale 'Yang Yang' dissected. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
id16302719919765
supplier accountcentraleuropeannews
file nameAsiaWire-WhaleExhibit-16.jpg
place
creditAsiaWire
captionPic shows: Dead sperm whale 'Yang Yang' dissected. The world’s largest plastinated animal specimen is being exhibited in China where a team of experts has spent four years preserving a 48-foot sperm whale weighing 40 tonnes.
