The Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS) has been the whale’s steward since it first moved there in 1991. With the reopening of SWIMS, Hong Kong’s whale will undergo its first restoration initiative in twenty years and be re-born as a symbol for marine conservation.
The original bones will be preserved in the SWIMS biodiversity collection while new bones designed to withstand typhoon winds, salt spray, and Hong Kong’s hot summer sun for many years will be 3D printed using state of the art technology.
The restoration campaign aims to support the recreation of the whale skeleton, as a figurehead for SWIMS research and education efforts to conserve Hong Kong’s marine environment. As such, the whale will be named to celebrate its ‘re-birth’.
A small-scale 3D printed replica of the whale will be given to donors with contributions of HK$8,000 or above. |
When the 3D printed replica of the Hong Kong whale is completed and relocated, it will once more sit on the shore and continue to look over the ocean at Cape d’Aguilar Marine Reserve. |
