Potvis Valentijn hangs from the ceiling of the renovated museum in Koksijde 35 years after his death: “Everything about this story is unique” | Koksijde

35 years ago, the sperm whale Valentijn washed up on the beach in Koksijde where he was also buried. The animal was excavated five years ago and its skeleton now hangs from the ceiling of the renovated Navigo Fisheries Museum in Oostduinkerke, which opens its doors on September 7. “With the exception of a few phalanges, all the bones are original. It is remarkable how well the skeleton has been preserved,” says Professor Pieter Cornillie of Ghent University, who together with his team excavated the sperm whale and then reassembled it. These are the first images.