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All the Netherlands Schiermonnikoog Whale Jaw of Schiermonnikoog

Whale Jaw of Schiermonnikoog

An awe-inspiring giant blue whale jaw bone stands in the center of this Dutch island.

Schiermonnikoog, Netherlands

Added By
annika
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The Jaw   Koning, J.P/Public Domain
The Jaw   Koning, J.P/Public Domain
The jaw of a blue whale with the rest of the skeleton for scale.   Eviatar Bach/Public Domain
The Jaws used as an entrance to a local hotel   Map Data © 2014 Google
The Jaw   Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed/Public Domain
  Svenjk / Atlas Obscura User
Blue Whale   Don Ramey Logan/Public Domain
  Svenjk / Atlas Obscura User
An image of a blue whale and a diver, for scale   T. Bjornstad/Public Domain
The Jaw being re-assembled after a recent restoration   Omrop Fryslân/CC BY 2.0
The Jaw being re-assembled after a recent restoration   Omrop Fryslân/CC BY 2.0
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About

It's hard to truly comprehend the colossal size of the world's largest mammal until you're standing right next to its massive jaw bone, such as the one standing vertically creating an archway on the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog.

After the Second World War, there was a severe shortage of resources in the Netherlands, and a particular need for oils and fats. As a result, the Dutch Society of Whaling was founded, and for years following, whaling was a huge part of life on the island.  

The harvesting of whale oil (which is also known as train oil, coming from the Dutch word "traan" meaning "tear" or "drop"), which is obtained from the animal's blubber, solved the need for oils and fats in the community, and ultimately saved lives. The practice of whaling was continued in Schiermonnikoog even after resources were no longer in shortage, as by then it was seen as a community tradition.  

In 1950, Captain Klaas Visser returned to the island of Schiermonnikoog with a 104-foot-long blue whale from southern Iceland, causing major commotion and excitement. A year later, the jaw of the enormous mammal was placed in the center of the town for everyone to admire.

The jawbone no longer stands in the center of town, but it does still have a home in the community. Today, the gigantic jawbone serves as an entrance into the Graaf Bernstorff Hotel, where hotel guests and Schiermonnikoog locals alike can stop, look up, and feel awed by nature's magic. 

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Whale Bones Whales Islands Animals

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Added By

annikaaa

Edited By

aribrown, Svenjk

  • aribrown
  • Svenjk

Published

July 6, 2017

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  • https://www.schierweb.nl/bezienswaardig/walviskaken/
  • https://www.vvvschiermonnikoog.nl/zien-en-doen/bezienswaardigheden/walviskaak
Whale Jaw of Schiermonnikoog
6 Nieuwestreek
Schiermonnikoog
Netherlands
53.47857, 6.160526
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