The remains of the London Whale that swam up the Thames last January will be shown for the first time at The Guardian and Observer ‘Newsroom’visitor centre from today, 12 months after she died from dehydration and exhaustion.
The week-long exhibition will tell the story of how the whale found itself so far from its North Sea habitat in the heart of London, and the attempts made to save her.
Guardian executive editor Ian Katz said: ‘That weekend the whale swam up the Thames and the frantic battle to save it will be one of those events that children, and plenty of adults, will remember all their lives.’ The northern bottlenose whale, nicknamed ‘Wally”, was watched by thousands of onlookers who lined the Thames on the morning of 22 January. Thousands watched the scenario unfold on television, and work stopped in many offices across the country to watch the whale on rolling TV news.
But now all that is left of Wally is a conserved skeleton and a fin, on loan from the Natural History Museum.
An autopsy found that she died of dehydration, cardiovascular failure, muscle damage and kidney failure.
The exhibition is at the Guardian and Observer Newsroom, Farringdon Road, London EC1. For free tickets call The Guardian on 020 7239 9993.
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