As part of the Belfast Marine Institute's initiative The Floating Classroom, Belfast Area High School students in Genna Black and Chip Lagerbom's Marine Studies class recently worked with Minke Whale bones that were recovered from Belfast Harbor.

The young 21-foot long female Minke Whale carcass washed ashore in Belfast in the summer of 2024. It was moved to two different moorings in the harbor over the next year and a half and then the BMI was granted permission from the College of Atlantic's Allied Whale program to work with the bones for educational purposes. A lot of the skeleton was recovered from the two mooring areas,  although recovery operations in the harbor are still on-going.

BMI has recovered roughly 75% of the animal. Utilizing pieces of whale skeleton such as vertebrae, ribs, scapula, mandibles and skull, BMI students were able to examine them in detail and discuss forensic issues including hypotheses on probable cause or causes of death. They also practiced identifying the different bones and reassembling the skeleton in proper order.

For more information about the Belfast Marine Institute visit: https://bahsmarineinstitute.rsu71.org/