The Kitsap Sun reported how the Suquamish Tribe will be taking possession of the gray whale that washed ashore July 27 on Erlands Point near Silverdale. The tribe plans to display the skeleton once the skin has decomposed.
Fisheries manager Rob Purser describes how the tribe plans to do it:
The whale carcass, which has become buoyant over the past few days, will be wrapped in mesh and towed by boat to an out-of-the-way location in North Kitsap, said Rob Purser, fisheries manager for the tribe. The whale will be suspended in the water and will decompose naturally over three to six months.
After the bones are cleaned and dried, the skeleton will be articulated for public display, Purser said. Decisions have not been made about a final location, he said, but the whale will become part of the tribe’s educational programs and studies of the natural environment.
