A dead whale got washed up on the beach in the Netherlands this weekend. The versatile carcass will be used as both a museum attraction, a research sample, and for producing green energy.
It’s not every day your morning walk on the beach involves seeing a 14-metre-long, young adult whale lying on the sand. Well, the inhabitants of the village Westkapelle, south of the Netherlands, got quite the surprise this Sunday.
what kind of research is being carried out:
Let’s chop it up!
The whale is, naturally, of great interest to scientists, who’d love to learn more about its life, lifestyle, and journey, writes NU.nl.
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Today, the carcass will be chopped up, and sent around to the many researchers who are interested in taking a closer look.
The universities in Utrecht and Leiden are only a few examples of the authorities that will get a chance to study the massive animal.
Unfortunately, the dead whale is already quite far gone down the road of decomposition, meaning the benefits of researching its body are limited. Still, its skeleton can be used as interesting museum artefacts — these scientists won’t just let it go to waste.
What else are we supposed to do?
Once the nerdy scientists have had their fun with the carcass, it’s regular peoples’ turn. Well, at least kind of.
The whale will be disposed of in a waste incinerator, which ultimately will convert it into electricity. How? Through combustion, of course! Yep, some of us will be running on “whale power”, so to speak.
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The next time you postpone turning the heating up in your house (we know, it’s extremely pricey), you can at least be comforted by the fact that there’s a slight chance you’re giving a young dead whale a second life.
What do you think we should use the washed-up whale for? Tell us your ideas in the comments below!