Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
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
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
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
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

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. 

Related Tags

Whale Bones Whales Islands Animals

Community Contributors

Added By

annikaaa

Edited By

aribrown, Svenjk

  • aribrown
  • Svenjk

Published

July 6, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • 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
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Dixie Flyer Crash

Ballum, Netherlands

miles away

World's Largest Christmas Bauble

Groningen, Netherlands

miles away

Groningen University Museum

Groningen, Netherlands

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Netherlands

Netherlands

Europe

Places 348
Stories 20

Nearby Places

Dixie Flyer Crash

Ballum, Netherlands

miles away

World's Largest Christmas Bauble

Groningen, Netherlands

miles away

Groningen University Museum

Groningen, Netherlands

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Netherlands

Netherlands

Europe

Places 348
Stories 20

Related Places

  • 200-year-old skeleton of The King of All Whales

    An Hải, Vietnam

    Lang Tan Temple (Temple of the Whale)

    Home to what locals claim is the largest whale skeleton in Southeast Asia, which is worshiped yearly.

  • Vertebración y Desvertebración

    El Médano, Spain

    'Vertebración y Desvertebración'

    These sandstone replicas of a whale spine represent the history and culture of the Canary Islands.

  • Ruins of a blubber oven in Smeerenburg.

    Amsterdam Island, Norway

    Smeerenburg Blubber Ovens

    These circular ruins are all that remain of a 17th-century Arctic whaling outpost.

  • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

    Keahole Point Blowhole

    This unusual lava tube spouts seawater during high surf.

  • Blue-footed booby.

    Ecuador

    Isla de la Plata

    This small uninhabited island offers Galapagos-like biodiversity.

  • Coral Chasm in Niue

    Alofi, Niue

    Niue

    A tiny, remote island packed with wonders both natural and geeky.

  • Arco della Costa

    Verona, Italy

    Whale Bone of Arco della Costa

    A whale rib was used to advertise the store by the arch that offered exotic goods from far away.

  • Edward Penniman House and Barn

    Eastham, Massachusetts

    Captain Edward Penniman House

    The Cape Cod house that whaling built.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.