LANGLEY — A porpoise skeleton exhibit was installed at the Langley Whale Center in December.
The skeleton, dubbed “Maxine,” is more than 5 feet long. It is displayed in front of a window in the orca-gray whale room, where it also is visible from the street. The female porpoise washed up on Maxwelton Beach on Nov. 1, 2013, and was found by Janet Stein not far from the boat launch. A necropsy showed she died from B-cell lymphoma and suffered trauma to her ribs at some point in her life.
Maxine is the first Harbor porpoise known to have died of lymphoma, according to Sandy Dubpernell of the Central Puget Sound Marine Mammal Stranding Network. The discovery was discussed in scientific journals and conferences.
The bones were cleaned in the beetle colony at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle. About a dozen volunteers spent the past few months reassembling Maxine’s skeleton, which was mostly intact. The effort began in August and took eight sessions.
Present at the installation were volunteers Kathy Fritts, Shari Devlin, Debra Paros and Sandy Dubpernell, along with Susan Berta of the Orca Network.
“I’ve got to say, I’m kind of sad it’s over,” said Fritts, of Clinton. “We had so much fun. We had never worked together.”
The Whale Center is excited to have its first skeleton exhibit, Berta said.
“It makes us feel better to have something good come out of the death of an animal,” Berta said. “Number one, this has taught us that porpoises have lymphoma, which is something pretty big, then thousands of people will now be able to see her and learn her history and see her broken ribs.
“It’s great to finally have one and that she came from Maxwelton Beach.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
