Blue whale heart from Newfoundland installed at Royal Ontario Museum
Heart taken from whale that washed ashore in Trout River, N.L. in May 2014
A heart belonging to a blue whale that washed up on the shores of Newfoundland two years ago is now on display at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).
The heart was removed from a blue whale that beachedĀ on the shores of Trout River, N.L. in May 2014.
Two months ago,Ā a display showing the same whale's skeleton opened at the ROM, but now visitors will also get to catch a rare glimpse of the largest heartĀ of any living creature on earth.
This is the first & only preserved Blue Whale heart in the world. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ROMBlueWhale?src=hash">#ROMBlueWhale</a>š <a href="https://t.co/JKb40fRbF0">pic.twitter.com/JKb40fRbF0</a>
—@ROMtorontoAccording to officials at the ROM, it is very rare to get access to a fully preserved blue whale heart, as the animals usually sink to the bottom of the ocean when they die.
After being removed from the Trout River whale, the heart was shipped to Germany for preservation before returning to Canada for the ROM exhibit.
