Hong Kong’s whale of a tale: famous fossil at Shek O gets new lease of life

A replica of the skeleton of “Hong Kong’s Whale” that famously wandered into Victoria Harbour 70 years ago has been installed in Shek O, where the original fossil once stood before it was destroyed by Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018.

Researchers from the University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) Swire Institute of Marine Science (Swims) erected the replica at Cape D’Aguilar on Wednesday.

The replica was created by a specialist firm in mainland China.

“I see it as a public service for Swims to maintain the skeleton. It’s an important part of our maritime history,” said Dr Phil Thompson, the science education coordinator at the institute.

Thompson said the institute would use the new model to promote conservation and biodiversity.

“It is a theme that drives much of our research, and to have that represented in an iconic, interesting exhibit that everybody wants to see is a perfect segue into communicating what we learn and discover,” he added.